15 Facts on H2SO4 + K2SO4: What, How to Balance & FAQs

H2SO4 is a strong acid so it can react with the neutral base K2SO4 . Let us see the facts involved in this reaction.

H2SO4 is highly hygroscopic, and it is not available naturally on earth because of its high affinity to get into vapor, and its molar mass is 98.079 g/mol.K2SO4 is colorless inorganic compound and its molar mass is 174.259 g/Mol.K2SO4 is an oxidizing agent so that it can oxidize H2SO4 by reducing itself.

This article will discuss some of the characteristics of the H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction, like its products, forces present, and type of displacement.

What is the product of H2SO4 and K2SO4

Potassium hydrogen sulfate is formed during the reaction H2SO4+K2SO4.

H2SO4 (aq) +K2SO4(aq) = 2KHSO4(aq)

What type of reaction is H2SO4 + K2SO4

H2SO4+K2SO4 is considered as an acid-base reaction.

How to balance H2SO4 + K2SO4

The reaction H2SO4 + K2SO4 is balanced using the following steps.

H2SO4 (aq) +K2SO4(aq) = 2KHSO4(aq)

  • Count the number of atoms on both reactants and products side.
  • Following table gives us the details about number of atoms present on both reactants and products side.
AtomsReactants sideProducts side
H 2 1
S 2 1
O 8 4
K 2 1
atoms on reactants and products side
  • Place the required stoichiometric values in front of the unbalanced atoms to get the balanced chemical equation.
  • The reaction gets balanced by placing 2 as a coefficient of KHSO4.
  • Thus the balanced chemical equation is;
  • H2SO4 (aq) +K2SO4(aq) = 2KHSO4(aq)

H2SO4 + K2SO4 titration

H2SO4 + K2SO4 titration is not possible because K2SO4 is a neutral salt so it cannot undergo titration.

H2SO4 + K2SO4 net ionic equation

The net ionic equation for the H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction is

2H+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + SO42-(aq) =2HSO4(aq)  

Following steps are used to derive the net ionic equation.

  • Write the balanced chemical equation.
  • The balanced chemical equation for the H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction is
  • H2SO4 (aq) +K2SO4(aq) = 2KHSO4(aq)
  • Split the strong electrolytes into ionic form.
  • In this reaction, all are strong electrolytes, so the complete ionic equation is
  • 2H+(aq+ SO42-(aq) + 2K+(aq) + SO42-(aq) = 2K+(aq) + 2HSO4(aq) 
  • Cancelling the spectator ions to get the net ionic equation.
  • After canceling the spectator ions on both sides, the net ionic equation for the above reaction is
  • 2H+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + SO42-(aq) =2HSO4(aq)  

H2SO4 + K2SO4 conjugate pairs

  • H2SO4 and H2SO4 is the conjugate acid-base pairs formed in H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction.
  • K2SO4 does not have any conjugate pairs because of its neutral nature.
Screenshot 256S
H2SO4 conjugate pairs

H2SO4 and K2SO4 intermolecular forces

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H2SO4 intermolecular forces
Screenshot 254S
Ionic interactions in K2SO4

H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction enthalpy

H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction enthalpy is not yet found in research database because of the strong oxidizing nature of K2SO4.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 a buffer solution

H2SO4 + K2SO4 is not a buffer solution because K2SO4 is a neutral basic salt and H2SO4 is a strong acid, so both are not valid to form a buffer solution.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 a complete reaction

H2SO4 + K2SO4 is a complete reaction because KHSO4 is stable, so it does not undergo any further reaction.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 an exothermic or endothermic reaction

There is no literature report for the exothermic or endothermic nature of the H2SO4 + K2SO4 reaction.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 a redox reaction

 H2SO4 + K2SO4 is not a redox reaction since no change in oxidation state of the reactants is observed.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 a precipitation reaction

H2SO4 + K2SO4 is not a precipitation reaction since no precipitate is formed.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 reversible or irreversible reaction

H2SO4 + K2SO4 is not a reversible reaction since KHSO4 produced requires a high amount of energy to undergo a backward reaction, which is not possible in this case.

Is H2SO4 + K2SO4 displacement reaction

H2SO4 + K2SO4 is not a displacement reaction since no displacement of the atoms is observed.

How to balance H2SO4+K2SO4 +MnO2 = H2O + KMnO4 + MnSO4

The reaction is balanced using the following steps.

2H2SO4 + K2SO4 + 5MnO2 = 2H2O + 2KMnO4 + 3MnSO4

  • Count the number of atoms on the reactants and product sides.
  • The following table gives the number of atoms on both sides.
AtomsReactants SideProducts side
H 2 2
S 2 1
O 10 9
K 2 1
Mn 1 1
Atoms on reactants and products side
  • Place the stochiometric coefficients in front of the unbalanced atoms.
  • Our first attempt was executed by placing 2 as a coefficient of KMnO4 and 4 as a coefficient of MnO2, and 2 as a coefficient of MnSO4, but the reaction was still not balanced.
  • H2SO4 + K2SO4 + 4MnO2 = H2O + 2KMnO4 + 2MnSO4
  • Place the required stoichiometric coefficients to get the balanced equation.
  • The reaction gets balanced by placing 2 as a coefficient of H2SO4 and 5 as a coefficient of MnO2, and 2,2,3 as a coefficient of H2O, KMnO4 and MnSO4.
  • Therefore, the balanced chemical equation for the H2SO4 + K2SO4 + MnO2 reaction is
  • 2H2SO4 + K2SO4 + 5MnO2 = 2H2O + 2KMnO4 + 3MnSO4

Conclusion

KHSO4, formed during this reaction, is a colorless hygroscopic crystal known as potassium acid sulfate. Its boiling point is 300 °C. KHSO4 acts as a chemical disintegrating agent and a powerful oxidizing agent. It is mainly used in winemaking for the preparation of potassium tartrate.