The Chemistry Behind H2SO3 + BaF2: 15 Facts You Should Know

The combination of two chemical species, be it an element or a compound, yields results or complexes of varying properties. Let us dive into this specific reaction.

Barium Fluoride(BaF₂) is an inorganic chemical compound found from a halide mineral called Frankdicksonite, named after the professor. The BaF₂ crystals form fluorite lattices; each F^2­- ion is coordinated to four Ba²⁺ centres in tetrahedron. Sulphurous acid, existing mostly in gaseous form, is a strong acid of pH 5.1.

The academic article below will dive into certain properties of the reaction between the two compounds like reaction enthalpy and titration process.

What is the product of H₂SO₃ and BaF₂?

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ are reacted to form barium sulphite(BaSO₃) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) respectively. The reaction occurs as:

• H₂SO₃ + BaF₂→ BaSO₃ + 2HF

What type of reaction is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂?

The reaction of H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ is a complete double displacement reaction because two new products are formed.

How to balance H₂SO₃ and BaF₂?

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ reaction shall be balanced in the following way:

• H₂SO₃ + BaF₂ → BaSO₃ + HF
• Both ways must be equal in atoms; thus, after checking stoichiometry, multiply HF with 2 to equal with the fluorine atoms.
• H₂SO₃ + BaF₂ → BaSO₃ + 2HF

H₂SO₃ + BaF₂ Titration

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ titration can be performed as per the following steps but the results will not be as accurate as other titrations:

Apparatus

• Graduated burette
• Conical flask
• Volumetric flask
• Burette stand

Titre and Titrant

• BaF₂ solution is used as the titrant, whose concentration is known.
• H₂SO₃­ is the titre, whose concentration is to be measured.

Indicator

Methyl Orange can be used as the indicator as the solution shall remain acidic in nature. It that turns yellow in basic medium and orange in acidic medium.

Procedure 

• Samples of measured BaF₂ are dissolved well in water, and taken in a conical flask. BaF₂ is usually standardised through coulometric methods.
• Sulphurous acid is added to the burette.
• Keeping a check in pH, drops of the indicator- Methyl Orange is added.
• As the titration proceeds, the equivalence point of the reaction appears when the new product forms with a decent colour change. This reaction may take some time.
• As per the titration, the volume of the sample is estimated by the formula:
• V_H2SO3 S_H2SO3 = V_BaF2 S_BaF2  

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ Net Ionic Equation

H₂SO₃ + BaF₂ will yield the following net ionic equation:

• 2H⁺(aq) +SO₃^2-(aq) + BaF₂(s) → Ba²⁺(aq) + SO₃^2-(aq) + 2H⁺(aq) + 2F^–(aq)
• H₂SO₃ gets dissociated into hydrogen and sulphite ions.
• BaF₂ exists in solid form and doesn’t dissociate till sulphurous acid is added.
• BaSO₃ will dissociate to form one Barium ion of the +2 oxidation state and one sulphite ion of the +4 oxidation state of Sulphur.

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ Conjugate Pairs

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ reaction bears the following conjugate pairs, which shall differ by one proton:

• The conjugate base of H₂SO₃ = HSO₃^–
• The conjugate base of HF = F^–

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ Intermolecular Forces

In the reaction of H₂SO₃ and BaF₂, following intermolecular forces are present:

• In H₂SO₃, there are acidic protons that are involved in hydrogen bonding.
• BaF₂ exhibits slight polarity due to formation of ions, for which it has a higher melting point than Calcium fluoride.
• BaF₂ crystallizes in a CaF₂ structure, consisting of subsistent Van der Waals’ forces and London interactions.

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ Reaction Enthalpy

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ reaction enthalpy data is around -398 kJ/mol. The enthalpy information is as follows:

• Enthalpy of Formation of BaF₂ = -1278.75 kJ/mol
• Enthalpy of Formation of H₂SO₃ = -655.5 kJ/mol
• Enthalpy of Formation of BaSO₃ = -1790 kJ/mol
• Enthalpy of Formation of HF = -271.12 kJ/mol
• Enthalpy of Reaction = (-1790 – (2 x 271.12)) – (-655.5 -1278.75) kJ/mol = -398 kJ/mol

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ a Buffer Solution?

H₂SO₃ + BaF₂ is not a strong buffer solution at all as a weakly acidic metal halide can never regulate the pH of a solution. Moreover, it is difficult to make a buffer with H₂SO_3.

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF2 a Complete Reaction?

H₂SO₄ and BaF₂ reaction is complete in nature as the reaction reaches an equilibrium.

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ an Exothermic Reaction?

The H₂SO₃ and BaF2 reaction is quite exothermic in nature as the crystals need some energy to lose their bonds.

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ a Redox Reaction?

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ reaction is not an actual redox reaction as there is are no changes in oxidation state in the chemical equation.

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ a Precipitation Reaction?

H₂SO₃ + BaF₂ is not a precipitation reaction as the products formed do not result in precipitates.

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ a Reversible Reaction?

In H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ reaction, products have been formed at equilibrium and it is not reversible in nature.

Is H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ a Displacement Reaction?

H₂SO₃ and BaF₂ reaction is a double displacement reaction as the two sets of ions get displaced or exchanged in the product side.

• The barium metal displaces the hydrogen from the acid and forms a weakly acidic salt- BaSO₃.
• The fluoride ion undergoes displacement and forms hydrogen fluoride.

Conclusion

BaF₂ is a non-linear compound that is insoluble in water and can be used as a scintillator due to its crystal lattice. The titration is not typically useful but can be performed for the estimation of the acid.

Neeloy Bhattacharya

Hello….Neeloy here! I have pursued a Master’ in Chemistry and am currently a Subject Matter Expert in this community. Science and reasoning feed my curiosity and I love to express whatever I see, in my words. Quiz addict. Let’s connect at LinkedIn.