When coal contaminated with sulfur burns, it produces sulfur dioxide gas in addition to carbon dioxide gas. The sulfur dioxide gas enters the atmosphere where it slowly reacts with additional oxygen gas to form sulfur trioxide gas. The sulfur trioxide gas reacts with water in the atmosphere to produce aqueous sulfuric acid ([tex]H_2SO_4[/tex]), which falls as acid rain.

If 32.1 g of sulfur burns, how many grams of sulfuric acid are produced by this series of reactions? Write and balance each reaction.

A. 32.1 g
B. 98.1 g
C. 16.0 g
D. 49.0 g
E. 196 g
F. 64.2 g
G. None of these

When sulfur burns, it reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide (SO2), which further reacts with oxygen to form sulfur trioxide (SO3). The sulfur trioxide then reacts with water to produce sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as part of a series of reactions. The balanced chemical equations for these reactions are:

S + O2 → SO2
2SO2 + O2 → 2SO3
SO3 + H2O → H2SO4

To find out how many grams of sulfuric acid are produced from 32.1 g of sulfur, you need to calculate using stoichiometry based on these equations. The molar mass of sulfur is approximately 32.1 g/mol, and the molar mass of sulfuric acid is approximately 98.1 g/mol. Therefore, for every one mole of sulfur that burns, one mole of H2SO4 will be produced, which equates to 98.1 g of H2SO4. So, if you start with 32.1 g of sulfur, you should end up with approximately 98.1 g of sulfuric acid (option b).

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