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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Archy12345 on December 26, 2012, 05:44:04 PM

Title: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 26, 2012, 05:44:04 PM
Cu2+ + SO42- + 2Na+ + S2O32- :rarrow: Cu+ + SO42- + 2Na+ + ?

Equal parts of reactant were mixed. The oxidation of the copper is evident because of the blue to green color change. What happens to the thiosulfate anion? Does it's charge go to -1? And if so, what does the sodium end up bonding with?
I should also add that there was a sulfur colored precipitate that formed, however, the compound was not sulfur.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Hunter2 on December 27, 2012, 04:28:25 AM
You have do develop to equations.

Thiosulfat goes to sulfate

Cupper-II goes to copper-I

Precipitate of cupper-T-sulfide
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 27, 2012, 02:46:04 PM
I'm guessing that for ever thiosulfate ion you'd produce two sulfate ions.
S2O3- :rarrow: 2SO42-
Does it get oxygen from the water?

And what is the T in Copper-T-Sulfide?
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Hunter2 on December 27, 2012, 02:52:17 PM
Misstyping Copper-I-sulfide Cu2S was meant.

Correct the oxygen is from the water. But I would develop Sulfide and Sulfate.


Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 27, 2012, 03:03:15 PM
As the Cu2S was formed, the solution turned back to blue. I'm assuming this would mean that there are now Cu2+ ions back in the solution.

Would it be that all of the Cu+ ions have reacted with the Sulfide and that all that's left in the solution is Cu2+?

Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Hunter2 on December 27, 2012, 03:08:43 PM
I would say so. Because Cu+ is not stable in solutions. Only Oxide, Sulfide, Selenide, and (Pseudo)Halogenides are known as unsolouble. Probably some organic complex compounds.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 27, 2012, 03:15:11 PM
I had another test tube where I put an excess of Sodium thiosulfate. After the reaction was complete I had no precipitate, and the solution was a transparent brown color. I am very bewildered by this...
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Hunter2 on December 27, 2012, 04:03:32 PM
Miracle, miracle. Transparent brown?
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 27, 2012, 06:37:18 PM
More thiosulfate ions would mean that more of the copper was oxidized. So I would have thought that the solution would have stayed more green.


Now I took some of this brown liquid and put it in an evap dish. Heat makes the solution turn from brown to black. And the powder that was left was a lustrous black powder. I ground it up and mixed it with various things.

This powder in insoluble.
It does seem to react with HCl, but only slightly. It forms this very, very faintly tinted yellow solution. The black powder remains though.
It catalyzes the decomp of hydrogen peroxide.
And it makes KMnO4(aq) go from that purple/pink color to a colorless solution. Much the same if you have an acidified solution of hydrogen peroxide and you pour KMnO4(aq) in and it goes colorless. 


What I'm gathering is that this substance has reducing properties.

I believe it's Cu2O. I've done some research and people who have done this experiment usually get a solid that forms in this solution, which would indicate Copper(I)Oxide. I'm just not sure why I didn't get any solid until I heated the solution.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Borek on December 27, 2012, 06:43:01 PM
What I'm gathering is that this substance has oxidizing properties.

It reduced permanganate, so it has reducing properties, not oxidizing.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 27, 2012, 07:25:48 PM
What I'm gathering is that this substance has oxidizing properties.

It reduced permanganate, so it has reducing properties, not oxidizing.

Yes, you're right. Wasn't thinking when I wrote it. Reducing properties.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Hunter2 on December 28, 2012, 03:32:34 AM
Quote
This powder in insoluble.
It does seem to react with HCl, but only slightly. It forms this very, very faintly tinted yellow solution. The black powder remains though.
It catalyzes the decomp of hydrogen peroxide.
And it makes KMnO4(aq) go from that purple/pink color to a colorless solution. Much the same if you have an acidified solution of hydrogen peroxide and you pour KMnO4(aq) in and it goes colorless. 

I think its still coppersulfide. But here more CuS as Cu2S. Black color indicate it. The Cu+  is orange red either Oxide or Sulfide.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Archy12345 on December 29, 2012, 01:04:07 AM
I think you're right about the brown solution containing Copper (II) Sulfide....but I'm not sure about the first solution having Cu2S since the precipitate is a bright yellow. Almost sulfur colored. Haven't done any tests on it though.
Title: Re: Reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Sodium Thiosulfate.
Post by: Hunter2 on December 29, 2012, 05:53:12 AM
In acidic conditions Thiosulfate decompose and sulfur is one of the products.