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Chapter 8: Problem 38

Balance this chemical equation and assign it a reaction type: \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \rightarrow \mathrm{SO}_{3}(g)\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
The balanced equation is \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}(g)+\dfrac{1}{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \rightarrow \mathrm{SO}_{3}(g)\) and it's a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the elements and their atoms in the equation

In the given chemical equation, we have sulfur (S), oxygen (O) in both the reactants and products. Let's write down the initial number of atoms for each element on both sides of the equation: Reactants: 1 S, 2 O (in SO2) + 2 O (in O2) = 1 S, 4 O Products: 1 S, 3 O (in SO3)
02

Balance the atoms of each element in the equation

On the reactants side, we have 1 sulfur atom and 4 oxygen atoms, while on the products side, we have 1 sulfur atom and 3 oxygen atoms. To balance the given equation, we should multiply SO3 by 2 to have the same number of oxygens on both sides. The balanced equation is: \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}(g)+\dfrac{1}{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \rightarrow \mathrm{SO}_{3}(g)\) Now, let's count the atoms on both sides again to ensure that they are balanced: Reactants: 1 S, 2 O (in SO2) + 1 O (half of O2) = 1 S, 3 O Products: 1 S, 3 O (in SO3)
03

Identify the reaction type

Now that we have balanced the equation, we can identify its reaction type. The given equation is: \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}(g)+\dfrac{1}{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \rightarrow \mathrm{SO}_{3}(g)\) This is a reaction between a nonmetal oxide, SO2, and elemental oxygen, O2. The product formed, SO3, is also a nonmetal oxide. This type of reaction is known as a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction. In this redox reaction, oxygen (O2) is reduced by gaining electrons (acting as an electron acceptor) and SO2 is oxidized by losing electrons (acting as an electron donor).

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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