What is a limiting reagent?
A limiting reagent is the factor which restricts the amount of product that can be created. In chemistry we see limiting reagents during chemical reactions, once the limiting reagent has been finished the reactions stop. It is the substance that confines the reaction.
Limiting Reagent Example
We see limiting reagents in everday life all the time. An example of this could be a chef making cheeseburgers.
A recipe for a cheeseburger calls for:
1 hamburger bun
1 slice of cheese
1 hamburger pattie
1 slice of tomato
1 lettuce leaf
If you want to make 3 cheeseburgers how many hamburger buns do you need?
3
If you want to make 3 cheeseburgers how many slices of cheese do you need?
3
So how many cheese burgers can you make if you have:
2 hamburger patties, 1 slice of cheese, 2 hamburger buns, 2 slices of tomato, 2 lettuce leafs?
1
3 hamburger patties, 1 slice of cheese, 3 hamburger buns, 3 slices of tomato, 3 lettuce leafs?
1
We can't make anymore then 1 cheeseburger with one slice of cheese. So the cheese is the limiting ingredient, or the limiting reagent.