Which of the following steps is essential to determine the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction?

• A. Calculate the moles of each reactant based on the balanced equation.
• B. Determine the reactant with the lowest concentration.
• C. Select the reactant that appears first in the chemical equation.
• D. Identify the reactant with the highest molar mass.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Begin by writing the balanced chemical equation for the reaction. This is crucial as it provides the stoichiometric relationships between the reactants and products.
2. Convert the given quantities of each reactant to moles. This can be done using the formula: \( \text{moles} = \frac{\text{mass}}{\text{molar mass}} \) if the mass is given, or using the concentration and volume if the reactants are in solution.
3. Using the balanced equation, determine the mole ratio between the reactants. This will help in comparing the actual mole ratio to the stoichiometric ratio.
4. Calculate the theoretical amount of product that can be formed from each reactant. This involves using the stoichiometric coefficients from the balanced equation to find out how much product each reactant can produce.
5. Identify the limiting reactant by determining which reactant produces the least amount of product. The reactant that forms the least amount of product is the limiting reactant, as it will be completely consumed first, limiting the extent of the reaction.