Two moles of magnesium (mg) and five moles of oxygen (o2) are placed in a
reaction vessel. when magnesium is ignited, it reacts with oxygen. what is the limiting reactant in this experiment?
mg + o2 → mgo (unbalanced)
a. mg b. o2 c. mgo d. both the reactants are in the same proportion

First off, the chemical equation needs to be balanced. Since there are 2 oxygen atoms in the reactants, we must produce 2 moles of MgO, which means we need 2 moles of Mg, giving:
2Mg + O2 --> 2MgO
Therefore for a stoichiometric reaction where no reactant is left over, the number of moles of magnesium must be double that of oxygen. However, as seen, the molar ratio of magnesium to oxygen is 2:5, meaning oxygen is in large excess, and Magnesium is the limiting reactant. Therefore the answer is A.

The activity series is shown in the attached picture. if the element is below the other, then you can displace the other. following the activity series as a guide, the reactions are as follows: nickel and aluminum chloride3 ni + 2 alcl₃  → 3 nicl₂ + 2 albarium and copper bromideba + cubr  →  no reaction because cu is less oxidizable than bapotassium nitrate and aluminum3 kno₃ + al  → al(no₃)₃ + 3 ksodium phosphate and zincnaso₄ + zn  → znso₄ + na