Question

limiting reactants
grilled cheese
consider the following recipe for grilled cheese. use it to help answer the question.

yield: 1 serving
2 pieces sourdough bread
1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 slices cheddar cheese

which material is the limiting ingredient if you have 4 pieces of sourdough bread, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1.0 tablespoon of mayonnaise, and 3 slices of cheddar cheese?

sourdough bread
mayonnaise
unsalted butter

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate servings from bread

The recipe needs 2 pieces of bread per serving. With 4 pieces, the number of servings possible is $\frac{4}{2} = 2$ servings.

Step2: Calculate servings from butter

The recipe needs 1.5 tablespoons of butter per serving. With 2 tablespoons, the number of servings possible is $\frac{2}{1.5} \approx 1.33$ servings.

Step3: Calculate servings from mayonnaise

The recipe needs 1.5 tablespoons of mayonnaise per serving. With 1.0 tablespoon, the number of servings possible is $\frac{1.0}{1.5} \approx 0.67$ servings.

Step4: Calculate servings from cheese

The recipe needs 3 slices of cheese per serving. With 3 slices, the number of servings possible is $\frac{3}{3} = 1$ serving.

Step5: Identify limiting ingredient

The ingredient that allows the fewest servings is the limiting ingredient. Mayonnaise allows ~0.67 servings, which is the least among all.

Answer:

mayonnaise