Answer to Question #166270 in General Chemistry for Felecia

Question #166270

Hello, I need help with balancing the equation and finding the limited reactant and Excess. The equation says: Soild Iron (3) nail of 4.800 grams is placed in copper (2) sulfate solution of 9.883 grams yeild. For the equation I got 2Fe+ CuSo4 = Fe2(SO4)3 +3 Cu. Did I do this correct or not?


1
Expert's answer
2021-02-24T03:47:57-0500

Iron (3) nail does not make any chemical sense because a pure metal cannot have any oxidation state other than zero.

There are two possible reactions of solid iron with CuSO4 solution with this one to be more likely to occur:

Fe(s) + CuSO4(aq) --> Cu(s) + FeSO4(aq)


To find the limiting reactant, amounts of both Fe and CuSO4 should be known. It is not very clear what "solution of 9.883 grams yield" means, but assuming that this is a mass of CuSO4 in the solution, both amounts in moles can be calculated:


"n(Fe)=\\frac{4.800g}{55.847g\/mol}=0.08595mol"

"n(CuSO_4)=\\frac{9.883g}{159.609g\/mol}=0.06192mol"


Since they react in 1 : 1 molar ratio, the reactant with fewer moles (CuSO4) is limiting, and Fe is in excess.


Similarly, for the second possible reaction

2Fe(s) + 3CuSO4(aq) --> 3Cu(s) + Fe2(SO4)3(aq),

the molar ratio of Fe to CuSO4 is 2 : 3. Since there are more moles of Fe than CuSO4 present, obviously CuSO4 is also a limiting reactant, and Fe is in excess.


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