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Chemistry Forums for Students => Inorganic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: kivine on August 23, 2004, 08:52:40 AM

Title: MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 23, 2004, 08:52:40 AM

MgSO4 + H2SO4  what does it yield?

haf tried to search the net for this equation but to no avail. did the experiment. got an exothermic one.


thanks

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: budullewraagh on August 23, 2004, 09:38:34 AM

it was probably just the Mg and SO4 bond being broken.  the two cannot react.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 23, 2004, 09:59:38 AM

well, here is the instruction of the experiment

Place a pea-sized amount of Epsom salts , MgSO4 in a small, clean test tube that has been rinsed with distilled water.

Add 1-2 drops of 18M sulfuric acid.Descibe your observations.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: budullewraagh on August 23, 2004, 10:19:34 AM

18M H2SO4 would break the bonds reeeeal easily.  that's what it is.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: ssssss on August 23, 2004, 11:08:51 AM

Well if it would have been any halogen then the a displacemoent reaction could have been occured But since SO₄ is attached with Mg it could not be replaced by another SO₄ of Sulphuric acid.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: movies on August 23, 2004, 12:25:35 PM

It's probably just an acid/base reaction.  The SO₄^2- from the MgSO₄ gets protonated to form a bisulfate anion, HSO₄^-.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 23, 2004, 01:01:46 PM

correct me if i'm wrong

does it give to this:

Mg(HSO4)2

magnesium(II) bisulphate?


oh, btw. my observations:

exothermic, no change in color. i cant confirm whether there are bubbles or not.forgot abt it ???

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: movies on August 23, 2004, 09:32:15 PM

There's a fair amount of water in H₂SO₄, so I would think that it would stay in solution.  Did you observe any precipitates?

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: AWK on August 24, 2004, 03:17:52 AM

If you use a concentrated sulfuric acid then magnesium hydrogen sulfate can be formed, but unfortunately, it can be more soluble in water than the magnesium sulfate itself.
So nothing is observed, except some heat due to dilution of sulfuric acid.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 24, 2004, 10:37:41 AM

sorry, but how does the dilution of sulfuric acid brings about an exothermic reaction?


movies: no ppt

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: movies on August 24, 2004, 08:58:19 PM

I think the heat comes from the acid/base reaction.  There could be some heat produced from dissolving the MgSO₄ as well.

If you're diluting sulfuric acid you get heat from the acid/base reaction with water as the base.  Same sort of thing, just a different base.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 25, 2004, 09:43:30 AM

perhaps an equation?

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: movies on August 25, 2004, 02:22:34 PM

H₂SO₄(aq) + MgSO₄(s) --> Mg²⁺(aq) + 2 HSO₄^-(aq)

By the by, anhydrous MgSO₄ will produce heat even if it's just mixed with water.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 26, 2004, 11:52:02 AM

does the above equation produce heat?

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: movies on August 26, 2004, 03:39:56 PM

Ought to.  Most acid/base neutralizations do.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 26, 2004, 10:51:55 PM

does the reaction between epsom slats + distilled water produce heat?

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: movies on August 26, 2004, 11:44:16 PM

Epsom salts are hydrated magnesium sulfate.  My gut feeling is that they would produce a small amount of heat when dissolved in water, but I'm not positive of that.

Anhydrous magnesium sulfate does produce heat when added to water because water molecules bind to it (forming the hydrate).  If the stuff you add is already hydrated, then you don't get the same release of energy.

There may be some heat released from the Mg and SO₄ dissociating though.

Title: Re:MgSO4 + H2SO4 what does it yield
Post by: kivine on August 27, 2004, 10:02:47 AM

thanks to all who answered my questions , although its too late for me :P, i have submitted my report already