Problem:
     Identify the limiting reactant and how much aspirin (C₉H₈O₄) can be produced when 52.3g of salicylic acid (C₈H₆O₃) react with 25.0g of acetic acid (CH₃CO₂H): C₈H₆O₃ + CH₃CO₂H ----> C₉H₈O₄ + H₂O.

I have balanced this equation thus: C₈H₆O₃ + 5CH₃CO₂H -----> 2C₉H₈O₄ + 5H₂O;
and computed the limiting reactant to be acetic acid (CH₃CO₂H) with 25.0g of acetic acid yielding 30.0g of aspirin (C₉H₈O₄).

     The answer the book provides is: Limiting reactant = salicylic acid; theoretical yield = 62.8g aspirin.

     I have checked my calculations several times, and unless the answer the book provides is wrong, then I must have balanced the chemical equation incorrectly.  Thanks in advance for any light you may be able to shed on this.

Check out the reaction equation - it should go 1:1. Probably that's what you will arrive at after after correcting formula.

Are you sure the chemical forumlas are correct?  I think the chemical formula for salicylic acid should be C₇H₆O₃.

The book does list C₈H₆O₃ as the formula for salicylic acid, if I change the formula to C₇H₆O₃ it balances the equation (I think), however I then arrive at limiting reactant = salicylic acid producing 68.2g of aspirin; not the answer provided of 62.8g.

u dont have to balance the reaction; it is done for you. convert given data to moles to find limiting regeant.

As far as I know for the reaction equation to be balanced, there should be the same number of each atoms on each side,given the equation C₈H₆O₃ + CH₃CO₂H ----> C₉H₈O₄ + H₂O, I count 10 C atoms, 10 H atoms and 5 O atoms on the left side, and 9 C atoms, 10 H atoms and 5 O atoms on the right side.  Is my understanding of this concept incorrect?

Check out the reaction equation - it should go 1:1. Probably that's what you will arrive at after after correcting formula.

If the ratio of Salicylic acid to Aspirin stays at 1:1 I will come up with 52.3g of salicylic acid producing 62.8g of aspirin, just as the book says, however I can find no way to balance this equation while keeping the ratio of salicylic acid to aspirin at 1:1.

Thanks again I appreciate all your insight into this problem.

The book does list C₈H₆O₃ as the formula for salicylic acid

So it seems the book is wrong, check our chemical structures section (link on the left).

If you are not familiar with organic structures please remember, that every node is a carbon and if it seems to be bivalent or trivalent it is bonded with hydrogens (omitted for clarity of the structure).