H2SO4 + C = H2 + CO2 + SO2

H_2SO_4 sulfuric acid + C activated charcoal ⟶ H_2 hydrogen + CO_2 carbon dioxide + SO_2 sulfur dioxide

Balance the chemical equation algebraically: H_2SO_4 + C ⟶ H_2 + CO_2 + SO_2 Add stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, to the reactants and products: c_1 H_2SO_4 + c_2 C ⟶ c_3 H_2 + c_4 CO_2 + c_5 SO_2 Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for H, O, S and C: H: | 2 c_1 = 2 c_3 O: | 4 c_1 = 2 c_4 + 2 c_5 S: | c_1 = c_5 C: | c_2 = c_4 Since the coefficients are relative quantities and underdetermined, choose a coefficient to set arbitrarily. To keep the coefficients small, the arbitrary value is ordinarily one. For instance, set c_1 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients: c_1 = 1 c_2 = 1 c_3 = 1 c_4 = 1 c_5 = 1 Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation: Answer: | | H_2SO_4 + C ⟶ H_2 + CO_2 + SO_2

+ ⟶ + +

sulfuric acid + activated charcoal ⟶ hydrogen + carbon dioxide + sulfur dioxide

Construct the equilibrium constant, K, expression for: H_2SO_4 + C ⟶ H_2 + CO_2 + SO_2 Plan: • Balance the chemical equation. • Determine the stoichiometric numbers. • Assemble the activity expression for each chemical species. • Use the activity expressions to build the equilibrium constant expression. Write the balanced chemical equation: H_2SO_4 + C ⟶ H_2 + CO_2 + SO_2 Assign stoichiometric numbers, ν_i, using the stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, from the balanced chemical equation in the following manner: ν_i = -c_i for reactants and ν_i = c_i for products: chemical species | c_i | ν_i H_2SO_4 | 1 | -1 C | 1 | -1 H_2 | 1 | 1 CO_2 | 1 | 1 SO_2 | 1 | 1 Assemble the activity expressions accounting for the state of matter and ν_i: chemical species | c_i | ν_i | activity expression H_2SO_4 | 1 | -1 | ([H2SO4])^(-1) C | 1 | -1 | ([C])^(-1) H_2 | 1 | 1 | [H2] CO_2 | 1 | 1 | [CO2] SO_2 | 1 | 1 | [SO2] The equilibrium constant symbol in the concentration basis is: K_c Mulitply the activity expressions to arrive at the K_c expression: Answer: | | K_c = ([H2SO4])^(-1) ([C])^(-1) [H2] [CO2] [SO2] = ([H2] [CO2] [SO2])/([H2SO4] [C])

Construct the rate of reaction expression for: H_2SO_4 + C ⟶ H_2 + CO_2 + SO_2 Plan: • Balance the chemical equation. • Determine the stoichiometric numbers. • Assemble the rate term for each chemical species. • Write the rate of reaction expression. Write the balanced chemical equation: H_2SO_4 + C ⟶ H_2 + CO_2 + SO_2 Assign stoichiometric numbers, ν_i, using the stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, from the balanced chemical equation in the following manner: ν_i = -c_i for reactants and ν_i = c_i for products: chemical species | c_i | ν_i H_2SO_4 | 1 | -1 C | 1 | -1 H_2 | 1 | 1 CO_2 | 1 | 1 SO_2 | 1 | 1 The rate term for each chemical species, B_i, is 1/ν_i(Δ[B_i])/(Δt) where [B_i] is the amount concentration and t is time: chemical species | c_i | ν_i | rate term H_2SO_4 | 1 | -1 | -(Δ[H2SO4])/(Δt) C | 1 | -1 | -(Δ[C])/(Δt) H_2 | 1 | 1 | (Δ[H2])/(Δt) CO_2 | 1 | 1 | (Δ[CO2])/(Δt) SO_2 | 1 | 1 | (Δ[SO2])/(Δt) (for infinitesimal rate of change, replace Δ with d) Set the rate terms equal to each other to arrive at the rate expression: Answer: | | rate = -(Δ[H2SO4])/(Δt) = -(Δ[C])/(Δt) = (Δ[H2])/(Δt) = (Δ[CO2])/(Δt) = (Δ[SO2])/(Δt) (assuming constant volume and no accumulation of intermediates or side products)

| sulfuric acid | activated charcoal | hydrogen | carbon dioxide | sulfur dioxide formula | H_2SO_4 | C | H_2 | CO_2 | SO_2 Hill formula | H_2O_4S | C | H_2 | CO_2 | O_2S name | sulfuric acid | activated charcoal | hydrogen | carbon dioxide | sulfur dioxide IUPAC name | sulfuric acid | carbon | molecular hydrogen | carbon dioxide | sulfur dioxide