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The industrial production of sulfuric acid can be described as a four-stage process beginning with the burning of raw sulfur with oxygen - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2004 - Paper 1
Question 5
The industrial production of sulfuric acid can be described as a four-stage process beginning with the burning of raw sulfur with oxygen. Stage 1 The burning of sul... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The industrial production of sulfuric acid can be described as a four-stage process beginning with the burning of raw sulfur with oxygen - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2004 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Stage 2 The oxidation of sulfur from the +4 to the +6 oxidation state Give the equation for this reaction.
Answer
The oxidation of sulfur from the +4 to the +6 oxidation state can be described by the following reaction:
In this reaction, sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is oxidized to sulfur trioxide (SO₃).
Step 3
What goes wrong in the industrial process if the temperature for this stage of the process is too high, and why?
Answer
If the temperature is too high during the oxidation of sulfur, it can lead to a decrease in the yield of sulfur trioxide (SO₃). This is because the forward reaction is exothermic; thus, increasing the temperature shifts the equilibrium position to favor the reactants. In essence, if the temperature is elevated too much, the production of SO₃ becomes less efficient, resulting in lower yields.