Sulphur and Its Compounds
Sulphur and Its Compounds
Sulphur and Its Compounds
Sulphur
It is the 16th element in the periodic table with atomic number 16, it has 16
period 3 element.
e.t.c.
It is extracted from underground deposits and the basis is the on the low melting
point of sulphur
− Frasch pump consisting of three concentric pipes are sunk down the sulphur
deposit.
is sent /forced down the sulphur beds through the outer most tube/pipe to
pumped/sent/forced down through the inner most tube/pipe. This hot air
forces/ pushes the molten sulphur together with water up through the
middle tube to the surface where sulphur is cooled and solidified. Sulphur
ALLOTROPES OF SULPHUR
➢ Monoclinic sulphur
➢ Rhombic sulphur
➢ Amorphous sulphur
➢ Plastic sulphur
➢ Collidial sulphur
1. Rhombic sulphur
2. Monoclinic sulphur
RHOMBIC SULPHUR
• Filter the solution into a dry beaker using a dry filter paper and a funnel.
• Place a filter paper on top of the beaker. Pierce some small holes in the
filter paper.
• Place the set up near a window for a day to allow carbon disulphide to
Diagram
MONOCLINIC SULPHUR
• Stir and gradually add more sulphur until the evaporating dish is full of
molten sulphur.
• Stop heating and allow it to cool. A crust will be formed on the surface.
• Carefully pierce through the crust and immediately pour off the liquid
sulphur inside.
• Remove the crust. Small shaped crystals will be seen inside the evaporating
dish.
Diagram
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE.
rhombic suphur.
How to show that both rhombic and monoclinic are allotropes of sulphur.
(a) Same mass of either rhombic or monoclinic sulphur when burnt in oxygen
(b) Same mass of rhombic can be turned into a similar mass of monoclinic
disulphide.
continues to burn forming white fumes with a chocking smell. The white
sulphide is formed.
Hot copper foil reacts with sulphur ( glows in sulphur) forming a black solid
of copper(I) sulphide.
carbon disulphide.
sulphide
acid:
Hot concentrated nitric acid oxidises sulphur to sulphuric acid and itself
sulphur dioxide.
Sulphur when heated melts at about 113°c or 115°c and flows easily like
water.
On further heating at about 160°c it becomes red brown and viscous i.e. it
As the temperature is increased further the liquid becomes black and mobile
Uses of sulphur
sticks.
for the case of insecticides and used in making skin ointments for treatment
▪ In the manufacture of sulphur dioxide and sodium sulphite which are used
for bleaching straw and wood fibers, and for removing lignin from wood pulp
Laboratory preparation
(i) action of dilute hydrochloric acid or dilute sulphuric acid on sodium sulphite
crystals
Set up of apparatus
Procedure:
− Sodium sulphite is put inside the round bottom flask and the apparatus
Na2SO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) → 2NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) + SO2 (g)
Or
Na2SO3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq) → Na2SO4 (aq) + H2O (l) +SO2 (g)
− Fine pieces of Copper metal are put inside the round bottom flask and the
fine copper metal inside the round bottom flask and the mixture heated.
Sulphur dioxide is
(ii) Two and half times denser than air (is denser than air).
acid).
green.
include:
➢ The bleaching action. This is due to sulphurous acid which removes oxygen
Equations of reaction
N.B
Don’t copy the equations below, copy from S.4 yellow members
Equation of reaction:
K2Cr2O7 (aq) + 3SO2 (g) + H2SO4 (aq) → K2SO4 (aq) + Cr2(SO4)3 (aq) + H2O (l)
Observation:
Equation of reaction
2KMnO4 (aq) + 5SO2 (g) +2H2O (l) → K2SO4 (aq) + 2MnSO4 (aq) + 2H2SO4
(aq)
Observation
Equation of reaction
Fe2 (SO4)3 (aq) + SO2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 2FeSO4 (aq) + 2H2SO4 (aq)
Observation
Equation of reaction
Br2 (aq) + 2H2O (l) + SO2 (g) → H2SO4 (aq) + 2HBr (aq)
Observation
Equation of reaction
Observation
normal salt is formed but equal molar quantities react to form an acid salt.
Equation of reaction
Equation of reaction
(ii) Examples in which sulphur dioxide acts as an oxidising agent include:
Equation of reaction
Explanation: The burning magnesium gives out a lot of heat that decomposes
the gas into its elements, sulphur and oxygen. The metal then continues to burn
Equation of reaction
Include the manufacture of sulphuric acid used to make soap, paints and
pigments
(ii) Fertilizers
(iii) As a bleaching agent for wool, straws and sponges ( used asd a
(v) To make calcium hydrogen sulphite used for bleaching wood-pulp in the
manufacture of papers.
Preparation.
acid on iron (II) sulphide or dilute sulphuric acid and iron (II) sulphide.
Set up of apparatus
(chec
Procedure
Dilute hydrochloric acid is added to iron (II) sulphide in a flat bottomed flask
Equation of reaction.
Note:
Concentrated sulphuric acid is never used as a drying agent as it reacts with the
gas;
Note; dilute sulphuric acid can be used instead of dilute hydrochloric acid to
Equation of reaction
To prepare H2S from sulphur, iron (ii) sulphide is first prepared by heating a
Equation.
Fe(s) + S FeS(s)
When a strip of filter paper soaked in lead(II) ethanoate is dropped into a gas jar
of hydrogen sulphide, the paper turns black. This is due to the precipitation black
lead(II) sulphide.
Physical properties
It has a strong repulsive smell characterized by a smell of rotten eggs.
It is a colourless gas
Chemical properties
Combustion;
Hydrogen sulphide burns in air with pale blue flame forming either sulphur dioxide
Excess
limited
Hydrogen sulphide is a very strong reducing agent i.e. it gives up its hydrogen to
many compounds and therefore itself is oxidized when sulphur dioxide is bubbled
Hydrogen sulphide reduces chlorine to form hydrogen chloride gas and a yellow
deposit of sulphur;
chloride appears as the filtrate. This shows that Hydrogen sulphide has reduced
permanganate solution;
acidified potassium permanganate solution, the colour of the solution changes from
sulphur.
Hydrogen sulphide also reduces acidified potassium chromate solution and the
)3(aq)+5S(s)+10H2O(l)
SULPHUR TRIOXIDE,SO3
LABORATORY PREPARATION
Set up of apparatus
Equation of reaction
The sulphur trioxde is seen as dense white fumes and may be solidified in a
freezing mixture of ice and little sodium chloride. Sulphur trioxde container
It has very high affinity for water and combines violently with it forming
sulphuric acid.
Equation.
The reaction is highly exothermic i.e it gives out a lot of of heat and it is
Equation.
The sulphur dioxide and oxygen are purified and dried to remove
impurities which may poison the catalyst. They are then mixed and
Equation
Equation
N.B
therefore produces a spray of sulphuric acid which could affect the workers
in the factory.
Note:
Burning is preferred in oxygen than air because heat energy is wasted in heating
Any unreacted gases from the above reaction are recylced back into the above
reaction
Note
Water cannot be added directly to sulphur trioxide because this reaction is highly
exothermic resulting in the formation of a dense fog of sulphuric acid particle which
Sulphuric Acid is special in that it can act as an ordinary acid, an oxidizing agent or
Concentrated sulphuric acid readily absorbs water from the air (desiccating or
dehydrating agent). It is thus used to dry the air used in the contact process.
(blue) (white)
The mixture caramelises, turning brown then black (black porous solid is mainly
carbon). The heat from the reaction turns water to steam, causing the mass to
expand. Carbon reacts with sulfuric acid in a second step to produce sulfur dioxide,
2. As an acid
Cool, dilute solutions of Sulphuric acid react with metals above Hydrogen on the
a) With metal
c) With alkali
d) With carbonates
3. As an oxidizing agent
a) With copper
b) With carbon
c) With sulphur
1. Manufacture of fertilizers
2. Manufacture of detergents
3. Manufacture of paints and pigments
4. Manufacture of chemicals
6. Sulfuric acid can also be used as a dehydrating (drying) agent in the contact
esterification.
SULPHATES
Sulphates have a general formula SO4. A sulphate has a valency of 2 its ion is
Common sulphates
SOLUBILITY OF SULPHATES
All sulphates are soluble in water except barium sulphate, lead(II) sulphate and
Most of the sulphates are resistant to heat, but if they are hydrated, they lose
their water of crystallization and become powdery upon slight heating. E.g.
However, iron (II) sulphate, copper (II) sulphate, ammonium sulphate and
sulphates of other metals lower than copper in the reactivity series are
decomposed upon strong heating. For example
(i) When a green hydrated solid of iron (II) sulphate is heated gently,
it loses its water of crystallization which condenses on the cooler
part of the test tube forming dirty yellow anhydrous (white) solids
of iron (II) sulphate.
Overallequation:
2FeSO4.7H2O(s) Fe2O3(s)+14H2O(l)+SO3(g) +SO2(g)
(ii) When a blue copper(II) sulphate crystal is heated, it losses its water
of crystallization forming white anhydrous powder of copper(II)
sulphate.
Observation
A white precipitate which is insoluble in excess acid indicates the
presence of a sulphate.
BaSO4(s)
nitrate solution.
Observation:
Observation:
THE END