A Metaphor to Learn this Concept:

Note that while the concept of limiting reagents has a way of tripping new Chemistry students up, I promise you already know this concept, simply from living your life. Consider this following example wherein a certain amount of ingredients limits the amount of a final product you can make:

You are planning to bring supplies to make s’mores on your camping trip. Your s’mores recipe calls for 2 graham crackers, one half of a chocolate bar, and one marshmallow per s’more. You bought a six-pack of chocolate bars, one box of graham crackers, which contains 18 graham crackers, and a bag of 50 marshmallows. Which of these ingredients will limit the number of s’mores you can make, and how many total can you make?