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Question
sulfur can be recovered from sour natural gas which contains 15 - 20% h₂s. one step in the process is: 16 h₂s+8 so₂→3 s₈ + 16 h₂o. assign an oxidation number to each atom and verify that the total number of electrons lost is equal to the total number gained. enter the oxidation numbers under each substance in the box corresponding to the element label to the left. if a box is not needed, leave it blank.
| h₂s | so₂ | s₈ | h₂o |
|---|---|---|---|
| s | |||
| o |
for the reaction as written, the total number of electrons lost is and the total number of electrons gained is
Step1: Determine oxidation number of H in compounds
Hydrogen has an oxidation number of +1 in most compounds. In \(H_2S\) and \(H_2O\), the oxidation number of H is +1.
Step2: Determine oxidation number of O in compounds
Oxygen has an oxidation number of -2 in most compounds. In \(SO_2\) and \(H_2O\), the oxidation number of O is -2.
Step3: Determine oxidation number of S in \(H_2S\)
Let the oxidation number of S in \(H_2S\) be \(x\). Since the compound is neutral and there are 2 H atoms with +1 each, \(2\times(+1)+x = 0\), so \(x=- 2\).
Step4: Determine oxidation number of S in \(SO_2\)
Let the oxidation number of S in \(SO_2\) be \(y\). Since there are 2 O atoms with -2 each and the compound is neutral, \(y + 2\times(-2)=0\), so \(y = +4\).
Step5: Determine oxidation number of S in \(S_8\)
In an elemental form like \(S_8\), the oxidation number of S is 0.
Step6: Analyze electron - transfer
In the reaction \(16H_2S+8SO_2
ightarrow3S_8 + 16H_2O\), from \(H_2S\) to \(S_8\), S changes from - 2 to 0. Each S atom in \(H_2S\) loses 2 electrons. There are 16 S atoms in \(16H_2S\), so the total number of electrons lost is \(16\times2 = 32\). From \(SO_2\) to \(S_8\), S changes from +4 to 0. Each S atom in \(SO_2\) gains 4 electrons. There are 8 S atoms in \(8SO_2\), so the total number of electrons gained is \(8\times4=32\).
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| \(H_2S\) | \(SO_2\) | \(S_8\) | \(H_2O\) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | -2 | +4 | 0 | |
| O | -2 | -2 |
Total number of electrons lost: 32
Total number of electrons gained: 32