A mixture contains 1.00 kg of aluminium and 3.00 kg of iron oxide. The equation for the reaction is: 2 Al + Fe2O3 → 2 Fe + Al2O3 Show that aluminium is the limiting reactant. Relative atomic masses (Ar): O = 16 Al = 27 Fe = 56 – 6151

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1. First, I worked out the Mr of Fe₂O₃:
   Fe = 56, O = 16 → (2 × 56) + (3 × 16) = 160

   Then I calculated the moles of Fe₂O₃:
   3000 ÷ 160 = 18.75 mol

   For aluminium (Al), the Mr is 27, so:
   1000 ÷ 27 = 37.0 mol

   The balanced equation needs 2 moles of Al for every 1 mole of Fe₂O₃, so:
   2 × 18.75 = 37.5 mol of Al needed

   But I only have 37.0 mol of Al, which is less than 37.5 mol,
   so aluminium is the limiting reactant.

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