Answer :
Final answer:
After balancing the chemical equation and converting the given masses of MnO₂ and HCl to moles, it is determined that HCl is the limiting reactant as there are fewer moles of HCl available than required to fully react with the amount of MnO₂ present.
Explanation:
To determine the limiting reactant between MnO₂ and HCl, we must first write the balanced chemical equation for their reaction:
MnO₂ + 4HCl → MnCl₂ + Cl₂ + 2H₂O
Next, we convert the given masses of the reactants to moles:
For MnO₂:
Molecular weight = 86.94 g/mol (Mn=54.94, O=16)
Moles of MnO₂ = 39.1 g / 86.94 g/mol
= 0.45 mol
For HCl:
Molecular weight = 36.46 g/mol
Moles of HCl = 45.3 g / 36.46 g/mol
= 1.24 mol
According to the stoichiometry of the balanced equation, the reaction requires 4 moles of HCl for every mole of MnO₂. Thus, to react with 0.45 mol MnO₂, we need:
0.45 mol MnO₂ x 4 mol HCl/mol MnO₂ = 1.8 mol HCl
Since we only have 1.24 mol of HCl, HCl is the limiting reactant.
