Limiting Reactant

• For reactions with multiple reactants, it is likely that one of the reactants will be completely used before the others.

• When this reactant is used up, the reaction stops and no more product is made.

• The reactant that limits the amount of product formed is called the limiting reactant (limiting reagent).

• The limiting reactant gets completely consumed.

• Reactants not completely consumed are called excess reactants.

• The amount of product that can be made from the limiting reactant is called the theoretical yield.