Answer :
Final answer:
Given the amounts of Zn and O in the problem, the number of moles for each reactant is calculated using the molar masses. From the stoichiometry of the reaction, we can infer that each mole of Zn reacts with half a mole of O2, equivalent to one mole of O. As such, Zn gets completely consumed before O does, making Zn the limiting reactant.
Explanation:
The question is about determining the limiting reactant in the chemical reaction between Zinc (Zn) and Oxygen (O). The defining characteristic of the limiting reactant is that it gets completely consumed in the reaction, producing the maximum possible amount of the product.
The amount of Zn and O provided in the problem correspond to a certain number of moles. The molar mass of Zn is approximately 65.38 g/mol and that for O is approximately 16 g/mol. By calculating the number of moles for Zn and O using these molar masses, you will find that Zn = 35.8 g/(65.38 g/mol), and O = 12.9 g/(16 g/mol).
For the formation of ZnO through the reaction Zn + 0.5O2 -> ZnO, each mole of Zn reacts with half a mole of O2 (which corresponds to one mole of O atoms). So, for the amount of Zn provided (0.547 moles), you would need only half that amount of O (0.2735 moles) for the reaction to completely consume Zn. However, you have more O (0.806 moles) available than required. Therefore, Zn will get completely consumed before O does. Hence, Zn is the limiting reactant in this case, while O is in excess.
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