If 4500 g of Zr metal is reacted with 1.5 x 104 g of water what is the limiting reactant?

Zr

Explanation:

The balance equation of the reaction is:

Zr + 2 H₂O ⇒ ZrO₂ + 2 H₂

Being:

the molar mass of the reactants participating in the reaction are:

If by stoichiometry (that is, the relationship between the amount of reagents and products in a chemical reaction) they react in moles:

then by stoichiometry the following quantity of mass react:

Now the following rule of three applies: if 91 g of Zr react with 36 g of H₂O, 4500 g of Zr with how much mass of H₂O would it react?

mass of H₂O= 1,780 grams

But 1780 grams of H₂0 are not available, 1.5 * 10⁴(15,000) grams are available. Since it has more mass than it needs to react with 4500 grams of Zr, Zr zirconia will be the limiting reagent.