Given the following chemical reaction equation: 3 Mg (s) + Al2O3 (s)> 3 MgO (s) + 2 Al (s)
and 144g of MG and 150g of Al2O3 are reacted.

which chemical compound is the limiting reactant compound?
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Al₂O₃ is the limiting reactant

Explanation:

The limiting reagent or limiting reactant in a chemical reaction is a reactant that is totally used up when the chemical reaction is completed and subsequently, the reaction stops as no more products can be formed from the excess reactant.

Equation of the the reaction reaction is given below:

3 Mg (s) + Al₂O₃ (s) > 3 MgO (s) + 2 Al (s)

Mole ratio of reactants from the equation shows that 3 moles of magnesium metal is required to react with 1 mole of aluminum oxide.

Molar mass of magnesium metal, Mg = 24 g/mol

Molar mass of aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃ = (27 * 2 + 16 * 3) = 102 g/mol

from the equation of reaction,  (24 * 3 g) 72 g of Mg reacts with 102 g of Al₂O₃

Given masses of reactants:

144 g of Mg = 144/24 6 moles of Mg

150 g of Al₂O₃ = 1.47 moles of Al₂O₃

Mole ratio of Mg to Al₂O₃ = 6/1.47 = 4.08 : 1

Therefore, magnesium is excess reactant while Al₂O₃ is the limiting reactant

explanation:

metals have excess of electrons whereas non-metals have deficiency of electrons. thus, in order to gain stability metals easily donate their electrons to the non-metals.

for example, electronic configuration of sodium is and electronic configuration of phosphorous is .

when a phosphorous atom and sodium atom combine together then sodium will donate is extra one electron to the phosphorous atom. as a result there will be formation of ionic bond between sodium and phosphorous.

the reaction will be as follows.

there, are three sodium sodium atoms and each of them will donate its one extra electron to phosphorous atom. thus, the sub-shell of phosphorous gets completely filled.  

thus, we can conclude that electrons are transferred from atoms of sodium to atoms of phosphorous. this transfer makes the sodium atoms donate one electron and the phosphorous atoms to gain one electron. as a result, the sodium and phosphorus atoms strongly attract each other.