Limiting and Excess Reactants Lesson Plan

Grade Level
/Subject
Chemical Equations and Reactions Unit

Limiting and Excess Reagents
Stephanie Dickerson
th
11 Grade Chemistry
Context
Description
The prior knowledge that is required for this lesson is understanding and
applying dimensional analysis. The students will also need to have a basic
understanding of the terms limiting and excess reactant, which I introduced in
the Smores Stoichiometry lesson. Dimensional analysis was part of the
students summer homework that involved unit conversions. Balancing
equations is another essential building block for this new topic. Without
knowing how to balance, students will not be able to apply the ratio concept
to stoichiometry problems. This prior knowledge has been assessed through
multiple assignments and lab reports that have required application of the
concepts described above. There is a major math concept that is used
throughout dimensional analysis that should have been mastered by students
in previous years. They will have to know how to multiply by a fraction in
order to calculate answers to any stoichiometry problem.
Standards Met
A stoichiometric calculation involves the conversion from the amount of one

substance in a chemical reaction to the amount of another substance. The
coefficients of the balanced equation indicate the ratios of the substances
involved in the reaction in terms of both particles and moles. Once the
number of moles of a substance is known, amounts can be changed to mass,
volume of a gas, volume of solutions and/or number of particles. Molarity
is a measure of the concentration of a solution that can be used in
stoichiometric calculations. When performing a reaction in the lab, the
experimental yield can be compared to the theoretical yield to calculate
percent yield. The concept of limiting reagents is treated conceptually and not
mathematically. Molality and Normality are concepts reserved for more
advanced study.
Concept
Addressed
The purpose of this lesson is to have students master predicting the amount of
a substance that will be produced or consumed in a chemical reaction. They
will accomplish this task by learning to apply dimensional analysis to several
different types of stoichiometry problems. The students will connect what
they have learned about unit conversions from grams to moles with this new
concept also. The rationale behind this lesson plan is to give students an
interactive way to think about limiting and excess reactants in a chemical
equation. They will model 2 types of scenarios, one with a world application
and the other that demonstrates the type of problems we will mostly work
with throughout the unit. The students have already learned how to identify a
limiting an excess reactant from a visual. This activity will actually bring the
mathematical representation into play.
Objectives
The students will be able to:
Identify limiting reactants

Identify excess reactants
Use dimensional analysis to determine a desired product
Apply the above concepts to data and chemical equations without

Stephanie Dickerson
visual representation
Academic
Language
Learning
Strategies
Materials
Needed
Safety Needs
and Instruction
The essential vocabulary chosen for this lesson is:

Limiting Reactant- the substance that is totally consumed when the
chemical reaction is complete. This reagent limits the amount of
product formed since the reaction cannot continue without it.
Excess Reactant- the reactant in a chemical reaction that remains
when a reaction stops when the limiting reactant is completely
consumed.
Reactants- a substance that takes part in and undergoes change during
a reaction
Products- the substances that result from the recombination of atoms
in a chemical reaction
Dimensional Analysis- analysis using the fact that physical quantities
added to or equated with each other must be expressed in terms of the
same fundamental quantities (such as mass, length, or time) for
inferences to be made about the relations between them.
Coefficient- numbers placed in front of compounds to balance
chemical equations.
Direct Instruction- this strategy will be used to give instructions for the
bellwork and at each transition throughout the lesson to move through the
models
Small Group Instruction- I will walk the classroom and ask students
about their thinking as they are completing the problems to emphasize
the process to get to the answer.
Cooperative learning- this strategy will be used throughout the entirety of
the lesson for Model One, Two and Three
Individual Work- the students will complete the designated homework
problems individually
Modeling- the students will uses models in application of assembling cars
and molecules that directly pertain to chemistry
1. Limiting and Excess Reagent POGIL Copies (30 per class)
2. Lego Sets to Construct Cars for Model One and Two
Activity One and Two (6 sets)
8 Tires
3 Steering Wheels
4 Bodies
12 Cylinders
3. Molecule Set for Model Three (6 sets)
7 H2 Molecules (white pieces)
3 O2 Molecules (red pieces)
1 Molecule separator
There are no safety concerns for this lesson.
Engagement/Introduction/Hook (5 minutes): The students will have a
bellwork that practices mole to mole calculations. This activity will get
students in the mindset of thinking about dimensional analysis like weve
been practicing throughout the school year and re-emphasized on Thursday

Stephanie Dickerson
of the previous week.
Transition 1 (3 minutes): Have one student from each group of 4 retrieve a
Lego set for Model One and Two as I distribute papers to the class. Instruct
them to not remove any of the pieces yet.
Instructional
Outline
Segment 1 (25 minutes): Have the students construct one car as a model for
what the vehicles should look like assembled based on the key provided in
model one. The students will complete questions 1 through 3. We will briefly
discuss. They will then continue into Model 2. If students are completing the
activity quickly, instruct them to begin working on the Independent Activities
under Model 2. We will discuss briefly once everyone is finished.
Transition 3 (5 minutes): Instruct students to take apart their cars and place
all car parts back in their cups. Switch to the Molecule set to begin Model 3.
Segment 3 (15 minutes): Have student complete questions 8 and 9 using the
molecule set. If students finish ahead of time, have them begin on the
independent work under Model 3. We will discuss briefly once everyone is
finished.
Closure (5 minutes): Remind the students of what has been assigned for
homework and that it is due on block day. Have student return all materials to
the prep station.
Modifications
Assessments of
Learning
The lesson is being chunked into multiple pieces to give students multiple
representations of the information to learn for the day. We are starting with
something that the students can see as a real life representation (cars) and
then we will move into actually molecules that apply directly to chemistry.
By building the lesson this way, students will be able to understand the main
concepts of the lesson.
Formative assessments: the bellwork will be a formative assessment as it is
being used to determine student comprehension and application of main
concepts.
Summative assessments: The entire activity will receive a grade for accuracy.
Analyzing
Teaching
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Grade Level

Chemical Equations and Reactions Unit

A stoichiometric calculation involves the conversion from the amount of one

The students will be able to:

Identify limiting reactants

Chemical Equations and Reactions Unit

The essential vocabulary chosen for this lesson is:

Chemical Equations and Reactions Unit

Cannot complete at this time

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