An Elementary Study of Chemistry, William McPherson [icecream ebook reader txt] 📗
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By combining these equations the following one is obtained:
4. Action on salts. We have repeatedly seen that an acid of high boiling point heated with the salt of some acid of lower boiling point will drive out the low boiling acid. The boiling point of sulphuric acid (338°) is higher than that of almost any common acid; hence it is used largely in the preparation of other acids.
5. Action on water. Concentrated sulphuric acid has a very great affinity for water, and is therefore an effective dehydrating agent. Gases which have no chemical action upon sulphuric acid can be freed from water vapor by bubbling them through the strong acid. When the acid is diluted with water much heat is set free, and care must be taken to keep the liquid thoroughly stirred during the mixing, and to pour the acid into the water,—never the reverse.
Not only can sulphuric acid absorb water, but it will often withdraw the elements hydrogen and oxygen from a compound containing them, decomposing the compound, and combining with the water so formed. For this reason most organic substances, such as sugar, wood, cotton, and woolen fiber, and even flesh, all of which contain much oxygen and hydrogen in addition to carbon, are charred or burned by the action of the concentrated acid.
Salts of sulphuric acid,—sulphates. The sulphates form a very important class of salts, and many of them have commercial uses. Copperas (iron sulphate), blue vitriol (copper sulphate), and Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) serve as examples. Many sulphates are important minerals, prominent among these being gypsum (calcium sulphate) and barytes (barium sulphate).
Thiosulphuric acid (H2S2O3); Thiosulphates. Many other acids of sulphur containing oxygen are known, but none of them are of great importance. Most of them cannot be prepared in a pure state, and are known only through their salts. The most important of these is thiosulphuric acid.
When sodium sulphite is boiled with sulphur the two substances combine, forming a salt which has the composition represented in the formula Na2S2O3:
Na2SO3 + S = Na2S2O3.
The substance is called sodium thiosulphate, and is a salt of the easily decomposed acid H2S2O3, called thiosulphuric acid. This reaction is quite similar to the action of oxygen upon sulphites:
Na2SO3 + O = Na2SO4.
More commonly the salt is called sodium hyposulphite, or merely "hypo." It is a white solid and is extensively used in photography, in the bleaching industry, and as a disinfectant.
Monobasic and dibasic acids. Such acids as hydrochloric and nitric acids, which have only one replaceable hydrogen atom in the molecule, or in other words yield one hydrogen ion in solution, are called monobasic acids. Acids yielding two hydrogen ions in solution are called dibasic acids. Similarly, we may have tribasic and tetrabasic acids. The three acids of sulphur are dibasic acids. It is therefore possible for each of them to form both normal and acid salts. The acid salts can be made in two ways: the acid may be treated with only half enough base to neutralize it,—
or a normal salt may be treated with the free acid,—
Acid sulphites and sulphides may be made in the same ways.
Carbon disulphide (CS2). When sulphur vapor is passed over highly heated carbon the two elements combine, forming carbon disulphide (CS2), just as oxygen and carbon unite to form carbon dioxide (CO2). The substance is a heavy, colorless liquid, possessing, when pure, a pleasant ethereal odor. On standing for some time, especially when exposed to sunlight, it undergoes a slight decomposition and acquires a most disagreeable, rancid odor. It has the property of dissolving many substances, such as gums, resins, and waxes, which are insoluble in most liquids, and it is extensively used as a solvent for such substances. It is also used as an insecticide. It boils at a low temperature (46°), and its vapor is very inflammable, burning in the air to form carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, according to the equation
Commercial preparation of carbon disulphide. In the preparation of carbon disulphide an electrical furnace is employed, such as is represented in Fig. 45. The furnace is packed with carbon C, and this is fed in through the hoppers B, as fast as that which is present in the hearth of the furnace is used up. Sulphur is introduced at A, and at the lower ends of the tubes it is melted by the heat of the furnace and flows into the hearth as a liquid. An electrical current is passed through the carbon and melted sulphur from the electrodes E, heating the charge. The vapors of carbon disulphide pass up through the furnace and escape at D, from which they pass to a suitable condensing apparatus.
Comparison of sulphur and oxygen. A comparison of the formulas and the chemical properties of corresponding compounds of oxygen and sulphur brings to light many striking similarities. The conduct of hydrosulphuric acid and water toward many substances has been seen to be very similar; the oxides and sulphides of the metals have analogous formulas and undergo many parallel reactions. Carbon dioxide and disulphide are prepared in similar ways and undergo many analogous reactions. It is clear, therefore, that these two elements are far more closely related to each other than to any of the other elements so far studied.
Selenium and tellurium. These two very uncommon elements are still more closely related to sulphur than is oxygen. They occur in comparatively small quantities and are usually found associated with sulphur and sulphides, either as the free elements or more commonly in combination with metals. They form compounds with hydrogen of the formulas H2Se and H2Te; these bodies are gases with properties very similar to those of H2S. They also form oxides and oxygen acids which resemble the corresponding sulphur compounds. The elements even have allotropic forms corresponding very closely to those of sulphur. Tellurium is sometimes found in combination with gold and copper, and occasions some difficulties in the refining of these metals. The elements have very few practical applications.
Crystallography. In order to understand the difference between the two kinds of sulphur crystals, it is necessary to know something about crystals in general and the forms which they may assume. An examination of a large number of crystals has shown that although they may differ much in geometric form, they can all be considered as modifications of a few simple plans. The best way to understand the relation of one crystal to another is to look upon every crystal as having its faces and angles arranged in definite fashion about certain imaginary lines drawn through the crystal. These lines are called axes, and bear much the same relation to a crystal as do the axis and parallels of latitude and longitude to the earth and a geographical study of it. All crystals can be referred to one of six simple plans or systems, which have their axes as shown in the following drawings.
The names and characteristics of these systems are as follows:
1. Isometric or regular system (Fig. 46). Three equal axes, all at right angles.
2. Tetragonal system (Fig. 47). Two equal axes and one of different length, all at right angles to each other.
3. Orthorhombic system (Fig. 48). Three unequal axes, all at right angles to each other.
4. Monoclinic system (Fig. 49). Two axes at right angles, and a third at right angles to one of these, but inclined to the other.
5. Triclinic system (Fig. 50). Three axes, all inclined to each other.
6. Hexagonal system (Fig. 51). Three equal axes in the same plane intersecting at angles of 60°, and a fourth at right angles to all of these.
Every crystal can be imagined to have its faces and angles arranged in a definite way around one of these systems of axes. A cube, for instance, is referred to Plan 1, an axis ending in the center of each face; while in a regular octohedron an axis ends in each solid angle. These forms are shown in Fig. 46. It will be seen that both of these figures belong to the same system, though they are very different in appearance. In the same way, many geometric forms may be derived from each of the systems, and the light lines about the axes in the drawings show two of the simplest forms of each of the systems.
In general a given substance always crystallizes in the same system, and two corresponding faces of each crystal of it always make the same angle with each other. A few substances, of which sulphur is an example, crystallize in two different systems, and the crystals differ in such physical properties as melting point and density. Such substances are said to be dimorphous.
EXERCISES1. (a) Would the same amount of heat be generated by the combustion of 1 g. of each of the allotropic modifications of sulphur? (b) Would the same amount of sulphur dioxide be formed in each case?
2. Is the equation for the preparation of hydrosulphuric acid a reversible one? As ordinarily carried out, does the reaction complete itself?
3. Suppose that hydrosulphuric acid were a liquid, would it be necessary to modify the method of preparation?
4. Can sulphuric acid be used to dry hydrosulphuric acid? Give reason for answer.
5. Does dry hydrosulphuric acid react with litmus paper? State reason for answer.
6. How many grams of iron sulphide are necessary to prepare 100 l. of hydrosulphuric acid when the laboratory conditions are 17° and 740 mm. pressure?
7. Suppose that the hydrogen in 1 l. of hydrosulphuric acid were liberated; what volume would it occupy, the gases being measured under the same conditions?
8. Write the equations representing the reaction between hydrosulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide respectively.
9. Show that the preparation of sulphur dioxide from a sulphite is similar in principle to the preparation of hydrogen sulphide.
10. (a) Does dry sulphur dioxide react with litmus paper? (b) How can it be shown that a solution of sulphur dioxide in water acts like an acid?
11. (a) Calculate the percentage composition of sulphurous anhydride and sulphuric anhydride. (b) Show how these two substances are in harmony with the law of multiple proportion.
12. How many pounds of sulphur would be necessary in the preparation of 100 lb. of 98% sulphuric acid?
13. What weight of sulphur dioxide is necessary in the preparation of 1 kg. of sodium sulphite?
14. What weight of copper sulphate crystals can be obtained by dissolving 1 kg. of copper in sulphuric acid and crystallizing the product from water?
15. Write the names and formulas of the oxides and oxygen acids of selenium and tellurium.
16. In the commercial preparation of carbon disulphide, what is the function of the electric current?
17. If the Gay-Lussac tower were omitted from the sulphuric acid factory, what effect would this have on the cost of production of sulphuric acid?
CHAPTER XV PERIODIC LAWA number of the elements have now been studied somewhat closely. The first three of these, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, while having some physical properties in common
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