The following unbalanced equation represents formation of sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive compound found in acid rain. When the equation is balanced, which coefficient should be placed in front of SO₂?
__SO₂ + __O₂ + __H₂O $\rightarrow$ __H₂SO₄

Question

The following unbalanced equation represents formation of sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive compound found in acid rain. When the equation is balanced, which coefficient should be placed in front of SO₂?
__SO₂ + __O₂ + __H₂O

\rightarrow

__H₂SO₄

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the equation is balanced, the coefficient in front of SO2 should be 2. This is because the sulfur atom in SO2 must be oxidized from a +4 oxidation state to a +6 oxidation state in order to form H2SO4. The oxygen atoms in O2 are reduced from a 0 oxidation state to a -2 oxidation state in order to form H2SO4. The hydrogen atoms in H2O are oxidized from a +1 oxidation state to a +6 oxidation state in order to form H2SO4.

The Following Unbalanced Equation Represents Formation of Sulfuric Acid, a Highly