How could you represent the reaction of copper metal with sulfuric acid?

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Answer 1 · 2017-09-10T15:36:38

By consideration of redox reaction......

Copper is oxidized to copper sulfate.....

$C u (s) \to C u^{2 +} + 2 e^{-}$ $Cu(s) rarr Cu^(2+) + 2e^-$ $(i)$ $(i)$

Sulfuric acid is REDUCED to sulfur dioxide....

$H_{2} S O_{4} + 2 H^{+} + 2 e^{-} \to S O_{2} (g) + 2 H_{2} O (l)$ $H_2SO_4 +2H^(+) + 2e^(-) rarr SO_2(g)+2H_2O(l)$ $(i i)$ $(ii)$

And we takes $(i) + (i i)$ $(i)+(ii)$ to give......

$C u (s) + H_{2} S O_{4} (a q) + 2 H^{+} \to C u^{2 +} + S O_{2} (g) + 2 H_{2} O (l)$ $Cu(s) + H_2SO_4(aq) +2H^(+) rarr Cu^(2+) + SO_2(g)+2H_2O(l)$

You would really need to give this a good blast of heat to oxidize copper metal, which is fairly unreactive.....and sulfuric acid is non-oxidizing.