15 Facts on H2SO4 + Li2SO3: What, How To Balance & FAQs

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 reaction is an unconventional reaction where 2 by-products are formed along with the main product. Let us discuss various facts related to it in this article.

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 involves reactants sulfuric acid and lithium sulfite. H2SO4 is a strong mineral acid with high corrosivity and is a strong oxidizing and dehydrating agent. Lithium sulfite is a ternary ionic compound with not many distinguished properties.

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 reaction leads to the product Li2SO4, SO2, and H2O. Let us inspect various facts related to it like the reaction type, net ionic equation, conjugation, etc.

What is the product of H2SO4 and Li2SO3?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 reaction results in the formation of lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) as the main product and sulfur dioxide (SO2) and water as the by-product. Here SO2 is gas and does not stay in the reaction mixture.

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 = Li2SO4 + SO2 + H2O

lithium sulfate
Product of H2SO4 + Li2SO3

What type of reaction is H2SO4 + Li2SO3?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is a double displacement and double decomposition reaction. As the reaction proceeds the products are Li2SO4 and H2SO3. Here H2SO3 is further dissociated into gaseous SO2 and H2O as the final reaction.

How to balance H2SO4 + Li2SO3?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 can be balanced using the hit and trial methods.

  • Write the equation in its original form without balancing or counting the atoms.
  • Bifurcate the number of reactants and products based on individual atoms present in them.
  • Balance both sides by algebraic methods by the addition of the atoms on both sides.
Name of the elementNo. of atoms (Reactants)No. of atoms (Products)
Hydrogen22
Lithium22
Oxygen77
Sulfur22
Table representing atoms in H2SO4 + Li2SO3

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 titration

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is a strong acid vs weak base titration.

Apparatus

Burette, pipette, titration flask, beaker, conical flask, iron stand, glass rod, funnel.

Indicator used

Methyl orange is the preferred indicator in H2SO4 + Li2SO3 reaction for finding the equivalence point. It turns the acidic solution red and the basic solution yellow.

Process

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 titration involved the presence of H2SO4 as strong acid in the conical flask and Li2SO3 as a weak base titrant in the burette. This titrant is added drop by drop which leads to a neutral solution with a little acidic domination but less than pH 4.4.

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 net ionic equation

The H2SO4 + Li2SO3 net ionic equation cannot be determined because of the absence of complete information about its solubility quotient, which is the basis of dissociation. The solubility quotient of H2SO4, Li2SO3, and Li2SO4 is aqueous and that of H2O is liquid but the solubility of SO2 is unknown.

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 conjugate pairs

In H2SO4 + Li2SO3 the conjugate pairs are:

  • The conjugate base of H2SO4 is HSO4.
  • The conjugate acid of H2O is OH.

H2SO4 and Li2SO3 intermolecular forces

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 has the following intermolecular forces:

  • H2SO4 is bonded by van der Waal dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding which is quite strong due to its high viscosity.
  • Li2SO3 exhibits electrostatic interaction or electrovalent bonding due to its ionic nature. There is a bonding between the Li+ ion and SO32- ion.

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 reaction enthalpy

H2SO4 + Li2SO4 products exhibit reaction enthalpy of – (17.5 +- 0.3) KJ/mol. The negative Gibbs energy sign depicts large entropy and exothermic reaction.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 a buffer solution?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is not a buffer solution because of the presence of a very strong acid H2SO4 which completely dissociates into its respective ions in the aqueous medium.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 a complete reaction?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is a complete reaction because there are no chances of dynamic equilibrium due to the stable product formation.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 an exothermic or endothermic reaction?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is an exothermic reaction as heat is released instead of absorption. It is evident from the warm reaction mixture.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 a redox reaction?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is not a redox reaction because the oxidation number of reactants and products does not show any change during the reaction.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 a precipitation reaction?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 cannot be considered a precipitation reaction due to the absence of the solidified product which usually settles at the bottom of the reaction mixture. The main product Li2SO4 is soluble in H2O and the SO2 formed is a gas.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 reversible or irreversible reaction?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is an irreversible reaction because it cannot change back to its reactants. It is in the forward direction where the reactants are exhausted once the product is formed.

Is H2SO4 + Li2SO3 displacement reaction?

H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is a double displacement reaction as there is an exchange of both cations and anions in the product formation. Here SO42- ion combines with Li and SO3 ion combines with H+ which further dissociates into SO2 and H2O.

Conclusion

Concluding the article then H2SO4 + Li2SO3 is an example of strong acid vs weak base reaction which is a displacement reaction and shows further dissociation in its products in the form of gas and liquid.