13 Facts on H2SO4 + Li2S: What, How To Balance & FAQs

Li₂S + H₂SO₄ is an inorganic reaction between an acid and a compound. Let us inspect various properties related to it.

Lithium sulfide (Li₂S) is a binary ionic compound that has an antifluorite crystal structure and appears as a solid-white powder. On the other hand, sulfuric acid is a mineral acid that is very strong and is miscible in water. It is a colorless and odorless acid.

H₂SO4 + Li₂S reaction produces lithium sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Let us discuss various aspects related to this reaction like the product, reaction type, balancing, etc.

What is the product of H₂SO₄ and Li₂S?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S reaction leads to the production of Li₂SO₄ as the main product and H₂S as the by-product. Here Li₂SO₄ exists in an aqueous form and H₂S is solidified.

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S = Li₂SO₄ + H₂S

What type of reaction is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S?

H₂SO4 + Li₂S is a double displacement reaction as there is an exchange of anions and cations which is evident from the products.

How to balance H₂SO₄ + Li₂S?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S balancing is possible through the hit and trial method which has the following steps:

• Write the equation representing both reactants and products.
• Count the number of atoms involved in an individual molecule
• Balance both the reactant and product side using the hit and trial method.
• Check the stoichiometry of both sides and rewrite the balanced equation.

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S = Li₂SO₄ + H₂S

Balanced equation: H₂SO₄ + Li₂S = Li₂SO₄ + H₂S

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S net ionic equation

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S net ionic equation is:

S^2- + 2H⁺ = H₂S

• Write the complete balanced equation keeping in mind the solubility rules.
• Then bifurcate each compound involved and write the complete ionic equation including the spectator ions.
• Now remove the common ions on both the reactant and product side for balancing the ionic reaction.
• Remove the spectator ions from the complete ionic reaction and write the net ionic equation.

H₂SO₄(aq) + Li₂S(aq) = Li₂SO₄(aq) + H₂S(s)

2H⁺ + SO₄^2- + 2Li⁺ + S^2- = 2Li⁺ + SO₄^2- + H₂S

S^2- + 2H⁺ = H₂S

• Spectator ions in the net ionic reaction of H2SO4 + Li2S are Li⁺ and SO₄^2- .

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S conjugate pairs

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S exhibits the following conjugate pairs,

• H₂SO₄ + Li₂S does not undergo conjugation which is the acid-base reaction as Li₂S is not a base instead it is an ionic compound.
• So H₂SO₄ has a conjugate base being a strong acid but no such thing is observed in Li₂S.
• Conjugate pair of H₂SO₄ = HSO₄^–

H₂SO₄ and Li₂S intermolecular forces

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S exhibits the following intermolecular forces:

• H₂SO₄ is a very strong acid and exhibits strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding where it creates strong bonds with the oxygen atom. Apart from that it also exhibits dipole-dipole forces.
• Li₂S is an inorganic anti-fluorite compound that shows electrovalent bonding as it is formed by lithium metal and sulfur nonmetal.

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S reaction enthalpy

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S reaction enthalpy or standard enthalpy of formation is -100.3 KJ/mol. The reaction enthalpy in H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is calculated by subtracting the enthalpy of reactants from the enthalpy of the products.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S a buffer solution?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S cannot form a buffer solution because of the presence of H₂SO₄ as a reactant. This is because H₂SO₄ is a strong acid and in the buffer, we need a weak acid along with its conjugate base.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S a complete reaction?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is a complete reaction as the equilibrium is achieved and the concentration of reactants is exhausted. It only exhibits a forward reaction, and the dynamic equilibrium is not observed. This implies that the products are formed in their complete quantity and no more reactants are present.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S an exothermic or endothermic reaction?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is an exothermic reaction as heat is released in this slow reaction. Another reason for heat release is the high hydration power of H₂SO₄.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S a redox reaction?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is not a redox reaction because no oxidizing and reducing characters are observed in the individual reactants and products. There is no loss and gain of electrons, oxygen, and hydrogen. Instead, there is only transference of anions and cations.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S a precipitation reaction?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is a precipitation reaction as the by-product H₂S is a precipitate. In the reaction, the main product Li₂SO₄ is in aqueous form and dissolves in the reaction mixture. On the other hand, H₂S is obtained in the solid form which settles at the bottom of the reaction mixture but is not crystalline.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S reversible or irreversible reaction?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is an irreversible reaction as there is no backward shift from products to reactants. Instead, the reaction exhibits a forward mechanism where the reactants are immediately reduced in quantity as the product formation dominates according to stoichiometry.

Is H₂SO₄ + Li₂S displacement reaction?

H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is a double displacement reaction where the product exhibits the transfer of anions and cations. In the reaction, the SO₄^2- ion is replaced by the S^2- ion with H⁺ ion and Li⁺ ion. Hence products Li₂SO₄ and H₂S are formed.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, H₂SO₄ + Li₂S is an inorganic double displacement reaction between an ionic compound. It is strong corrosive acid which like any other common reaction is irreversible, complete, and follows stoichiometry. The reaction undergoes double displacement reaction.

Mansi Sharma

Hello, I am Mansi Sharma, I have completed my master’s in Chemistry. I personally believe that learning is more enthusiastic when learnt with creativity. I am a Subject Matter Expert in Chemistry.
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