Question

What happens when:(i) Iron oxide (feo)is heated with coke. (ii) Mg is treated with dil H2SO4?

Answer 1

Answer:

i)

Carbon is more reactive than iron, so it can displace iron from iron(III) oxide. Here are the equations for the reaction.

Step 1 – Hot air (oxygen) reacts with the coke (carbon) to produce carbon dioxide and heat energy to heat up the furnace.

C(s) + O2(g) → CO2(g)

Step 2 – More coke is added to the furnace and reduces the carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, a good reducing agent.

CO2(g) + C(s) → 2CO(g)

Step 3 – iron(III) oxide is reduced.

iron(III) oxide + carbon → iron + carbon dioxide

2Fe2O3(s) + 3C(s) → 4Fe(l) + 3CO2(g)

In this reaction, the iron(III) oxide is reduced to iron, and the carbon is oxidised to carbon dioxide.