IChO 2013 · Theory problem 4

A simple inorganic experiment

Compound A which contains metal X is a colourless crystalline solid and highly soluble in water. It is used as a reagent in analysis and gives in alkali media a binary compound B containing 6.9 % (mass) of oxygen. Under heating A decomposes with a mass loss of 36.5 %.

4.1 Determine the metal X and compounds A and B.

Upon adding some amount of sodium thiosulfate to the solution of A the colour immediately becomes red, then changes to reddish-brown, and after some minutes a dark-brown precipitate C forms (reaction 1). The solution over it is colourless. Being heated on air at \(600\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\), C gives a grey powder X (reaction 2), so as 0.90 g of residue can be obtained from 1.10 g of C. A gas evolved by heating C in vacuum (reaction 3) can be absorbed by calcium hydroxide suspension (reaction 4). Being stored for a long time under saturated solution of barium perchlorate in \(\ce{HClO4}\) (\(c=0.1\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)), the colour of the precipitate becomes lighter, while the use of magnesium perchlorate does not give such an effect.

4.2 What is C? Write the equations of the reactions 1 – 4.

The compound C being stored under the mother liquor (containing an excess of A) changes its colour to yellow due to the transformation into D. If barium ions are added to the suspension of C in the mother liquor, a mixture of D and of a white precipitate is formed.

4.3 Propose the formula of D, taking into account that it contains 77.5 mass % of X. Give the equation of D formation.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 4.1: X is silver, \(\ce{Ag}\); A is silver(I) nitrate, \(\ce{AgNO3}\); B is silver(I) oxide, \(\ce{Ag2O}\).

  • 4.2: C is silver(I) sulfide sulfate, \[ \boxed{\ce{Ag8S4O4}=3\ce{Ag2S}\cdot\ce{Ag2SO4}}. \] The reactions are: \[ \ce{8Ag+ + 3S2O3^2- + 3H2O -> Ag8S4O4 v + 2SO4^2- + 6H+} \tag{1} \] \[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + 2O2 ->[600\,^\circ C] 8Ag + 4SO2 ^} \tag{2} \] \[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 ->[\Delta,\ vacuum] 4Ag + 2Ag2S + 2SO2 ^} \tag{3} \] \[ \ce{SO2 + Ca(OH)2 -> CaSO3 v + H2O}. \tag{4} \]

  • 4.3: D is silver(I) sulfide nitrate, \[ \boxed{\ce{Ag3SNO3}=\ce{Ag2S}\cdot\ce{AgNO3}}. \] Its formation can be written: \[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + 3AgNO3 -> 3Ag3SNO3 v + Ag2SO4}. \]

Solution

4.1 — Identification of X, A and B

An oxide formed when alkali is added to a soluble metal salt is consistent with B. For a monovalent metal oxide, \(\ce{X2O}\), the oxygen mass fraction gives

\[ \frac{16.0}{2M(\ce{X})+16.0}=0.069, \]

hence

\[ M(\ce{X}) =\frac{16.0}{2}\left(\frac{1}{0.069}-1\right) \approx108\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

This identifies silver. Its oxide, \(\ce{Ag2O}\), contains

\[ w(\ce{O})=\frac{16.0}{2(108)+16.0}\times100\% =6.90\%, \]

in agreement with the stated 6.9%.

Silver nitrate is a colourless, water-soluble analytical reagent. Its precipitation with alkali is

\[ \ce{2Ag+ + 2OH- -> Ag2O v + H2O}. \]

On heating, silver nitrate decomposes:

\[ \ce{2AgNO3 ->[\Delta] 2Ag + 2NO2 ^ + O2 ^}. \]

Using rounded molar atomic masses \(108,\ 14.0,\ 16.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\) for silver, nitrogen and oxygen, respectively,

\[ M(\ce{AgNO3})=170\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

The predicted mass loss is therefore

\[ \frac{170-108}{170}\times100\%=36.5\%, \]

which confirms A as \(\ce{AgNO3}\).

4.2 — Identification of C and reactions 1–4

The silver mass fraction in C is

\[ w(\ce{Ag})=\frac{0.90\ \mathrm{g}}{1.10\ \mathrm{g}}\approx0.818. \]

Pure silver sulfide would contain

\[ \frac{216}{216+32.0}\times100\%=87.1\% \]

silver, so C is not simply \(\ce{Ag2S}\).

The barium experiment indicates a sulfate component: barium can remove sulfate as white, sparingly soluble \(\ce{BaSO4}\), whereas magnesium sulfate remains soluble. Together with the dark sulfide-containing precipitate, this suggests a compound containing both \(\ce{Ag2S}\) and \(\ce{Ag2SO4}\).

Let there be \(r\) sulfide formula units per sulfate formula unit. Using \(M(\ce{S})=32.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\),

\[ M(\ce{Ag2S})=248\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}},\qquad M(\ce{Ag2SO4})=312\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Consequently,

\[ \frac{216(r+1)}{248r+312}=\frac{0.90}{1.10}, \]

which gives \(r=3\). Thus

\[ \boxed{\ce{C}=\ce{Ag8S4O4}=3\ce{Ag2S}\cdot\ce{Ag2SO4}}. \]

The predicted silver residue is

\[ 1.10\ \mathrm{g}\times \frac{8(108)}{8(108)+4(32.0)+4(16.0)} =0.90\ \mathrm{g}. \]

The lightening in the barium experiment is explained by

\[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + Ba^2+ -> 3Ag2S + BaSO4 v + 2Ag+}. \]

White barium sulfate forms alongside the remaining dark silver sulfide.

For reaction 1, thiosulfate undergoes disproportionation. The underlying balanced transformation is

\[ \ce{S2O3^2- + H2O -> S^2- + SO4^2- + 2H+}. \]

Three such transformations produce three sulfide ions and three sulfate ions. Precipitation of eight silver ions incorporates all three sulfides and one sulfate into C, leaving two sulfates in solution:

\[ \ce{8Ag+ + 3S2O3^2- + 3H2O -> Ag8S4O4 v + 2SO4^2- + 6H+}. \]

For reaction 3, heating in vacuum permits internal oxidation–reduction between the sulfate component and one sulfide component:

\[ \ce{Ag2S + Ag2SO4 ->[\Delta] 4Ag + 2SO2 ^}. \]

The other two sulfide components remain, giving

\[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 ->[\Delta,\ vacuum] 4Ag + 2Ag2S + 2SO2 ^}. \]

For reaction 2, oxygen in air also allows the remaining silver sulfide to yield silver:

\[ \ce{Ag2S + O2 -> 2Ag + SO2}. \]

Adding this reaction twice to the vacuum decomposition gives

\[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + 2O2 ->[600\,^\circ C] 8Ag + 4SO2 ^}. \]

The evolved gas is therefore sulfur dioxide. Its absorption by calcium hydroxide gives calcium sulfite, reaction 4:

\[ \ce{SO2 + Ca(OH)2 -> CaSO3 v + H2O}. \]

4.3 — Identification and formation of D

The mother liquor contains excess silver nitrate. The sulfate released during formation of D can account for the additional white barium sulfate precipitate. A natural candidate is therefore a silver sulfide–silver nitrate compound.

Let its composition be \(\ce{Ag2S}\cdot x\ce{AgNO3}\). Its silver mass fraction must satisfy

\[ \frac{216+108x}{248+170x}=0.775. \]

Solving,

\[ x=\frac{216-0.775(248)}{0.775(170)-108} \approx1.00. \]

Thus

\[ \boxed{\ce{D}=\ce{Ag3SNO3}=\ce{Ag2S}\cdot\ce{AgNO3}}. \]

Its calculated silver content is

\[ \frac{3(108)}{3(108)+32.0+14.0+3(16.0)} \times100\% =\frac{324}{418}\times100\% =77.5\%. \]

Formation of D is represented by

\[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + 3AgNO3 -> 3Ag3SNO3 v + Ag2SO4}. \]

Writing dissolved silver sulfate as ions and cancelling silver ions gives the net ionic form

\[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + Ag+ + 3NO3- -> 3Ag3SNO3 v + SO4^2-}. \]

If barium ions are present, the released sulfate precipitates:

\[ \ce{Ba^2+ + SO4^2- -> BaSO4 v}. \]

The combined reaction is

\[ \ce{Ag8S4O4 + Ag+ + 3NO3- + Ba^2+ -> 3Ag3SNO3 v + BaSO4 v}, \]

explaining the mixture of yellow D and white barium sulfate.

Names and SMILES

The identified compounds are extended ionic solids. Their formulas specify the proportions of the constituent ions below; these SMILES do not describe their crystal lattices or coordination geometries.

Molecule or ion SMILES
Silver(I) ion, \(\ce{Ag+}\) [Ag+]
Oxide ion, \(\ce{O^2-}\) [O-2]
Sulfide ion, \(\ce{S^2-}\) [S-2]
Nitrate ion, \(\ce{NO3-}\) [O-][N+](=O)[O-]
Sulfate ion, \(\ce{SO4^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-]
Thiosulfate ion, \(\ce{S2O3^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)[S-]
Sulfite ion, \(\ce{SO3^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)[O-]
Hydroxide ion, \(\ce{OH-}\) [OH-]
Hydrogen ion (proton), \(\ce{H+}\) [H+]
Calcium ion, \(\ce{Ca^2+}\) [Ca+2]
Barium ion, \(\ce{Ba^2+}\) [Ba+2]
Magnesium ion, \(\ce{Mg^2+}\) [Mg+2]
Water, \(\ce{H2O}\) O
Sulfur dioxide, \(\ce{SO2}\) O=S=O
Nitrogen dioxide, \(\ce{NO2}\), a radical [O-][N+]=O
Dioxygen, \(\ce{O2}\) O=O

The solution was checked against the official solution.