Consider the following reaction: $C a C O_{3} + S O_{2} \to C a S O_{3} + C O_{2}$ $CaCO_3+SO_2 to CaSO_3+CO_2$ . Here $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ is oxidized to $C a S O_{3}$ $CaSO_3$ , so is $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ a reducing agent or oxidizing agent? Kindly give your reason.

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Consider the following reaction: $C a C O_{3} + S O_{2} \to C a S O_{3} + C O_{2}$ $CaCO_3+SO_2 to CaSO_3+CO_2$ . Here $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ is oxidized to $C a S O_{3}$ $CaSO_3$ , so is $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ a reducing agent or oxidizing agent? Kindly give your reason.

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Answer 1 · 2016-02-18T09:19:47

$S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ is neither an oxidising or reducing agent.

Explanation:

I have assigned oxidation numbers to all the elements involved and you can see that none are changed, so this is not a redox reaction.

$+ 2 Ca + 4 C {- 2 O}_{3} + + 4 S {- 2 O}_{2} \to + 2 Ca + 4 S {- 2 O}_{3} + + 4 C {- 2 O}_{2}$ $stackrelcolor(blue)(+2)("Ca")stackrelcolor(blue)(+4)("C")stackrelcolor(blue)(-2)("O")_3+stackrelcolor(blue)(+4)("S")stackrelcolor(blue)(-2)"O"_2rarrstackrelcolor(blue)(+2)("Ca")stackrelcolor(blue)(+4)("S")stackrelcolor(blue)(-2)("O")_3+stackrelcolor(blue)(+4)("C")stackrelcolor(blue)(-2)"O"_2$

As ${SO}_{2}$ $"SO"_2$ forms ${CaSO}_{3}$ $"CaSO"_3$ you might think sulfur is being oxidised as the original, historical definition of oxidation referred to the addition of oxygen and/or removal of hydrogen.

However, this is not the case since you are, in effect, transferring an oxide ion to make the sulfate(IV) ion:

$S O_{2} + O^{2 -} \to S O_{3}^{2 -}$ $SO_2+O^(2-)rarrSO_(3)^(2-)$

Sulfur remains +4.

The idea of adding/removing electrons and the use of oxidation numbers was introduced so that the concept of redox could be extended to other systems that did not involve oxygen or hydrogen.

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Consider the following reaction: $C a C O_{3} + S O_{2} \to C a S O_{3} + C O_{2}$ $CaCO_3+SO_2 to CaSO_3+CO_2$ . Here $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ is oxidized to $C a S O_{3}$ $CaSO_3$ , so is $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ a reducing agent or oxidizing agent? Kindly give your reason.

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Explanation:

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Consider the following reaction: CaCO_3+SO_2 to CaSO_3+CO_2CaCO3+SO2→CaSO3+CO2CaCO_3+SO_2 to CaSO_3+CO_2. Here SO_2SO2SO_2 is oxidized to CaSO_3CaSO3CaSO_3, so is SO_2SO2SO_2 a reducing agent or oxidizing agent? Kindly give your reason.

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Explanation:

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Consider the following reaction: $C a C O_{3} + S O_{2} \to C a S O_{3} + C O_{2}$ $CaCO_3+SO_2 to CaSO_3+CO_2$ . Here $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ is oxidized to $C a S O_{3}$ $CaSO_3$ , so is $S O_{2}$ $SO_2$ a reducing agent or oxidizing agent? Kindly give your reason.