Lab Report Limiting Reagents

Limiting reagents can be easily determined on paper with stoichiometry, however, observing how it actually works is essential. This lab is focused on putting stoichiometry to use by determining and observing the limiting reagent in the given, balanced reaction.

In the field of chemistry, many want to produce a product by reacting to reactants that will create a certain amount of a product. In order to complete this, a chemist requires a balanced equation that states the exact amounts of reactants required to produce an exact amount of a product. In this particular lab, the insoluble barium iodate Ba(IO3)2 is produced by the reactants barium chloride and potassium iodate. the balanced equation to produce insoluble barium iodate is Ba^2+(aq)

First, excess Ba^2+ was tested by adding 3 drops of 0.1 M sodium sulfate to test well 1A and is observed. Following this test, record the data in you’re stage 1 data sheet. Once excess Ba^2 was tested, Excess IO3 is tested by adding 5 drops of sodium bisulfate indictor solution to well 1B to be observed. The observations were recorded in the stage 1 data chart. The excess tests were repeated using pipet B and clear liquid solution from tube B and placed in wells 2A and 2B. Next, this test was repeated for tubes C-E. Following the completion of the tests, all test tubes, pipets, and well plates were cleaned out and liquid waste was disposed of in the proper container. Once all data was collected, results were shared in class. Following this, all previous steps were repeated for the second and third stage. Following the end of all 3 stages. Pipets and wooden sticks were disposed. Test tubes were cleaned out and lab stations were cleaned

In this experiment, Ba^2+ was the excess reagent for the majority of tests in all 3 stages. During the stages, the times where IO3 was the excess reagent was when there was more starting IO3 than Ba2+ and vice versa when Ba^2+ was the excess reagent. In the experiments, when the clear liquid solution was mixed with sodium sulfate, it determined whether there was excess Ba^2+ based on the color it produced. When it produced a cloudy color, it meant that there was excess barium in the mix. When excess IO3 was determined it produced a black color when there was excess IO3. Overall the data shows that there is excess reagent when there is a greater amount of that reactant in the experiment. Plenty of trials were completed in order to confirm our observations. One variable that could have hindered the experiment data is that when a member was absent in the first two stages, it removed the extra confirmation that the results were accurate or if the member had made an error, he/she possibly would not have been able to realize it and could’ve slightly hindered the data. Overall the experiment conducted went well with a good amount of trials, however extra confirmation could’ve changed the results determined in the experiment and its