IChO 1976 · Theory problem 3

Technical iron(II) sulphide and hydrochloric acid

A sample of 5 g of a technical iron(II) sulphide \(\ce{FeS}\), which contains 5 % metallic iron reacted with hydrochloric acid.

Problems:

3.1 Calculate the volume of the gaseous products at STP conditions.

3.2 What is the composition (in volume %) of the gaseous mixture?

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 3.1 The total gas volume is \(1.31\ \mathrm{L}\) at STP: \(1.21\ \mathrm{L}\) of hydrogen sulphide, \(\ce{H2S}\) (SMILES S), and \(0.100\ \mathrm{L}\) of hydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\) (SMILES [H][H]).
  • 3.2 The mixture contains \(92.4\%\ \ce{H2S}\) and \(7.6\%\ \ce{H2}\) by volume.

Solution

3.1

Assume complete reaction with sufficient hydrochloric acid. The two components react according to

\[ \ce{FeS + 2HCl -> FeCl2 + H2S ^} \]

\[ \ce{Fe + 2HCl -> FeCl2 + H2 ^}. \]

Acid protonates the sulphide component to produce hydrogen sulphide. Metallic iron is oxidized to iron(II), reducing hydrogen ions to hydrogen gas. Thus, each mole of \(\ce{FeS}\) produces one mole of \(\ce{H2S}\), and each mole of metallic iron produces one mole of \(\ce{H2}\).

For chemical identification, hydrogen chloride has SMILES Cl; hydrochloric acid is its aqueous solution. Formal ionic representations of iron(II) sulphide and iron(II) chloride are [Fe+2].[S-2] and [Fe+2].[Cl-].[Cl-], respectively. These specify ionic constituents, without representing crystal structure or aqueous solvation.

The component masses are

\[ m(\ce{Fe})=5.00\ \mathrm{g}\times0.05=0.250\ \mathrm{g}, \]

\[ m(\ce{FeS})=5.00-0.250=4.750\ \mathrm{g}. \]

Using the rounded molar masses \(M(\ce{Fe})=56.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\) and \(M(\ce{FeS})=88.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\),

\[ n(\ce{H2S})=\frac{4.750}{88.0} =0.0539773\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

\[ n(\ce{H2})=\frac{0.250}{56.0} =0.00446429\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

At conventional STP, \(0\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) and \(1\ \mathrm{atm}\), take the ideal-gas molar volume as \(22.4\ \mathrm{L\,mol^{-1}}\). Therefore,

\[ V(\ce{H2S})=0.0539773\times22.4 =1.20909\ \mathrm{L}, \]

\[ V(\ce{H2})=0.00446429\times22.4 =0.10000\ \mathrm{L}. \]

Hence,

\[ \boxed{V_{\text{total}}=1.30909\ \mathrm{L}\approx1.31\ \mathrm{L}}. \]

3.2

For ideal gases at the same temperature and pressure, volume fractions equal mole fractions:

\[ \text{Volume \% of }\ce{H2S} = \frac{0.0539773}{0.0539773+0.00446429}\times100 =92.3611\%. \]

The remaining gas is hydrogen:

\[ \text{Volume \% of }\ce{H2} =100-92.3611=7.6389\%. \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{\ce{H2S}:92.4\%\qquad \ce{H2}:7.6\%\quad\text{by volume}}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.