H2SO4 + Cu = H2 + CuSO4

sulfuric acid + copper ⟶ hydrogen + copper(II) sulfate

Balance the chemical equation algebraically: + ⟶ + Add stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, to the reactants and products: c_1 + c_2 ⟶ c_3 + c_4 Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for H, O, S and Cu: H: | 2 c_1 = 2 c_3 O: | 4 c_1 = 4 c_4 S: | c_1 = c_4 Cu: | 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 Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation: Answer: | | + ⟶ +

+ ⟶ +

sulfuric acid + copper ⟶ hydrogen + copper(II) sulfate

| sulfuric acid | copper | hydrogen | copper(II) sulfate molecular enthalpy | -814 kJ/mol | 0 kJ/mol | 0 kJ/mol | -771.4 kJ/mol total enthalpy | -814 kJ/mol | 0 kJ/mol | 0 kJ/mol | -771.4 kJ/mol | H_initial = -814 kJ/mol | | H_final = -771.4 kJ/mol | ΔH_rxn^0 | -771.4 kJ/mol - -814 kJ/mol = 42.6 kJ/mol (endothermic) | | |

| sulfuric acid | copper | hydrogen | copper(II) sulfate Hill formula | H_2O_4S | Cu | H_2 | CuO_4S name | sulfuric acid | copper | hydrogen | copper(II) sulfate IUPAC name | sulfuric acid | copper | molecular hydrogen | copper sulfate

| sulfuric acid | copper | hydrogen | copper(II) sulfate molar mass | 98.07 g/mol | 63.546 g/mol | 2.016 g/mol | 159.6 g/mol phase | liquid (at STP) | solid (at STP) | gas (at STP) | solid (at STP) melting point | 10.371 °C | 1083 °C | -259.2 °C | 200 °C boiling point | 279.6 °C | 2567 °C | -252.8 °C | density | 1.8305 g/cm^3 | 8.96 g/cm^3 | 8.99×10^-5 g/cm^3 (at 0 °C) | 3.603 g/cm^3 solubility in water | very soluble | insoluble | | surface tension | 0.0735 N/m | | | dynamic viscosity | 0.021 Pa s (at 25 °C) | | 8.9×10^-6 Pa s (at 25 °C) | odor | odorless | odorless | odorless |