Does Producing Sulfuric Acid from Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate Release Oxygen?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LURCH
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Acid
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the historical production of sulfuric acid from copper sulfate pentahydrate, which decomposes into copper dioxide, water, and sulfur trioxide when heated. The key chemical reaction involves sulfur trioxide (SO3) reacting with water (H2O) to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4). A participant questions the potential release of oxygen during this process, noting a perceived absence of an oxygen molecule in the breakdown. The inquiry also explores the possibility of reversing the reaction to recreate green vitriol from copper dioxide and sulfuric acid, prompting a discussion on what components would be necessary to complete this reverse process. The conversation highlights the complexities of chemical reactions and the importance of understanding the reactants and products involved.
LURCH
Science Advisor
Messages
2,549
Reaction score
119
I was recently reading about the method by which sulfuric acid was produced in the old days. Apparently, copper sulfate pentahydrate (green vitriol), when heated up, breaks down into copper dioxide, water, and sulfur trioxide. The sulfur trioxide and water then bond to form sulfuric acid. Now, I'm really weak on chemistry, but by looking at the chemical signatures of these substances it appears that an oxygen molecule is missing. Does this method give off oxygen as a byproduct?

Also, can the process be reversed? Can copper dioxide and sulfuric acid be combined to form green vitriol?
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
what is missing?

SO_3(g) + H_2O(l) \longrightarrow H_2SO_4(l)

where are we missing oxygen?
 
It seems like a simple enough question: what is the solubility of epsom salt in water at 20°C? A graph or table showing how it varies with temperature would be a bonus. But upon searching the internet I have been unable to determine this with confidence. Wikipedia gives the value of 113g/100ml. But other sources disagree and I can't find a definitive source for the information. I even asked chatgpt but it couldn't be sure either. I thought, naively, that this would be easy to look up without...
I was introduced to the Octet Rule recently and make me wonder, why does 8 valence electrons or a full p orbital always make an element inert? What is so special with a full p orbital? Like take Calcium for an example, its outer orbital is filled but its only the s orbital thats filled so its still reactive not so much as the Alkaline metals but still pretty reactive. Can someone explain it to me? Thanks!!
Back
Top