Which of the following statements are incorrect?
Which of the following statements are incorrect?
The correct option is C Sulphuric acid is a very good reducing agent
Let us look at the merit of each of the given options:
Option a is correct as Sulphuric acid is indeed considered the “king of chemicals”. This is because H2SO4 is extremely important to manufacture many other chemicals like Nitric acid, Phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid. It is extensively used in metallurgical processes and refining petroleum. One of the most important applications of H2SO4 is in manufacturing fertilizers like ammonium phosphate and superphosphate etc.
Also, option e) is also very accurate! In the older days, Sulphuric acid was manufactured industrially via the lead chamber process. This was the preferred method of industrial synthesis for nearly 2 centuries from 1746.
Concentrated Sulphuric acid is a good dehydrating agent. Can you recall the dehydration of alcohols to form alkenes? That leaves us with option c as the only choice!
Further, the highest oxidation state for Sulphur is +6, which is the oxidation state of Sulphur atom in a molecule of H2SO4 . If it were a reducing agent, then Sulphur should get oxidized to a state higher than +6. In practice, hot and concentrated Sulphuric acid is a good oxidizing agent. It is not as oxidizing as conc. HNO3 though!
From conc. H2SO4 , conc. HNO3 and conc HCl, which one do you think is the strongest acid?
Sulphuric acid is a very good reducing agent
Let us look at the merit of each of the given options:
Option a is correct as Sulphuric acid is indeed considered the “king of chemicals”. This is because H2SO4 is extremely important to manufacture many other chemicals like Nitric acid, Phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid. It is extensively used in metallurgical processes and refining petroleum. One of the most important applications of H2SO4 is in manufacturing fertilizers like ammonium phosphate and superphosphate etc.
Also, option e) is also very accurate! In the older days, Sulphuric acid was manufactured industrially via the lead chamber process. This was the preferred method of industrial synthesis for nearly 2 centuries from 1746.
Concentrated Sulphuric acid is a good dehydrating agent. Can you recall the dehydration of alcohols to form alkenes? That leaves us with option c as the only choice!
Further, the highest oxidation state for Sulphur is +6, which is the oxidation state of Sulphur atom in a molecule of H2SO4 . If it were a reducing agent, then Sulphur should get oxidized to a state higher than +6. In practice, hot and concentrated Sulphuric acid is a good oxidizing agent. It is not as oxidizing as conc. HNO3 though!
From conc. H2SO4 , conc. HNO3 and conc HCl, which one do you think is the strongest acid?
