This demonstration is designed to illustrate the concept of limiting reagent in a spectacular way. Via a series of experiments where the amount of vinegar is fixed and the amount of NaHCO3 is gradually increased, the volume of CO2 generated from the reaction varies corresponding to the amount of NaHCO3 until it reaches the point where the CO2 volume remains constant no matter how much NaHCO3 is used. The observation clearly leads to the conclusion that before the equivalence point, NaHCO3 is the limiting reagent and vinegar becomes the limiting reagent afterwards. This demonstration is appropriate for introductory high school chemistry level and recommended for a large classroom presentation.
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Citation
Artdej, Romklao; Thongpanchang, Tienthong. J. Chem. Educ.2008, 85, 1382.
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