How would you balance the following equation: S8 + O2 --> SO3?

Question

How would you balance the following equation: S8 + O2 --> SO3?

1 Answer

Impact of this question

3121 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2015-11-03T07:23:07

With ease! Or at least it's easy if you have a chemical industry.

Explanation:

$S_{8} (s) + 12 O_{2} (g) \to 8 S O_{3} (g)$ $S_8(s) + 12O_2(g) rarr 8SO_3(g)$ ; (i)

Alternatively,
$\frac{1}{8} S_{8} (s) + \frac{3}{2} O_{2} (g) \to S O_{3} (g)$ $1/8S_8(s) + 3/2O_2(g) rarr SO_3(g)$ (ii)

Note that this gives the stoichiometric conversion of $S (0)$ $S(0)$ to $S (V I)$ $S(VI)$ . Industrially sulfur trioxide (and what do you think this is used for?) derives from $S O_{2} (g)$ $SO_2(g)$ .

i.e. $\frac{1}{8} S_{8} (s) + O_{2} (g) \to S O_{2} (g)$ $1/8S_8(s) +O_2(g) rarr SO_2(g)$ ; (iii)

then $S O_{2} (g) + \frac{1}{2} O_{2} (g) \to S O_{3} (g)$ $SO_2(g) + 1/2O_2(g) rarr SO_3(g)$ (iv)

In the third equation I used the $\frac{1}{8}$ $1/8$ coefficient to cope with the molecularity of the sulfur ring (then I used a $\frac{1}{2}$ $1/2$ coefficient in the fourth equation; I am certainly free to do this). I am not free to leave the equation unbalanced. Is it balanced? Don't trust my arithmetic. The fourth equation to give $S O_{3}$ $SO_3$ uses (I think) a supported $V_{2} O_{5}$ $V_2O_5$ catalyst of some sort. It must be an incredibly dirty and smelly process, yet it is undoubtedly vital to our civilization.

Note that $S O_{3} (g)$ $SO_3(g)$ is often added to sulfuric acid to give $H_{2} S_{2} O_{7}$ $H_2S_2O_7$ , pyrosulfuric acid.

Science

Math

Humanities

... and beyond

How would you balance the following equation: S8 + O2 --> SO3?

1 Answer

Explanation:

Related questions

Impact of this question