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title: "A student mixes 50.0 mL of 0.20 M FeCl3(aq) with 50.0 mL of 0.50 M NaOH(aq) at 25°C, causing a precipitate of Fe(OH)3(s) to form according to the balanced equation below.  FeCl3(aq) + 3NaOH(aq) -> Fe(OH)3(s) + 3NaCl(aq)  Which of the following identifies the limiting reactant and provides the correct justification?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119307/"
date_modified: "2026-08-19T12:39:44+00:00"
---

# A student mixes 50.0 mL of 0.20 M FeCl3(aq) with 50.0 mL of 0.50 M NaOH(aq) at 25°C, causing a precipitate of Fe(OH)3(s) to form according to the balanced equation below.

FeCl3(aq) + 3NaOH(aq) -> Fe(OH)3(s) + 3NaCl(aq)

Which of the following identifies the limiting reactant and provides the correct justification?

A student mixes 50.0 mL of 0.20 M FeCl3(aq) with 50.0 mL of 0.50 M NaOH(aq) at 25°C, causing a precipitate of Fe(OH)3(s) to form according to the balanced equation below.

FeCl3(aq) + 3NaOH(aq) -> Fe(OH)3(s) + 3NaCl(aq)

Which of the following identifies the limiting reactant and provides the correct justification?

- **A.** FeCl3, because the initial number of moles of FeCl3 (0.010 mol) is less than the initial number of moles of NaOH (0.025 mol).
- **B.** FeCl3, because Cl- ions bind to Na+ ions in solution, preventing NaOH from reacting fully with Fe3+ ions.
- **C.** NaOH, because completely reacting 0.010 mol of FeCl3 requires 0.030 mol of NaOH, but only 0.025 mol of NaOH is present.
- **D.** NaOH, because the ratio of initial moles of NaOH to FeCl3 is 1:3, which matches the required stoichiometric ratio.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119307/*