Question

A small amount of ferrous sulfate is heated in a hard glass tube.
(A) Write the chemical equation.
(B) What type of reaction is taking place

Answer 1

Hint: Iron(II) sulfate or ferrous sulfate signifies a range of salts with the equation ${ FeSO }_{ 4 }{ .xH }_{ 2 }{ O }$. These mixtures exist most normally as the heptahydrate yet are known for a few estimations of x.

Complete step by step solution:
-Iron (Fe) exists in two different states ${ Fe }^{ +2 }$ and ${ Fe }^{ +3 }$. If it is ${ Fe }^{ +2 }$ then it is known as ferrous while if it is present in ${ Fe }^{ +3 }$ then it is known as ferric.
-When ferrous sulfate is heated then ferric oxide along with sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide gas will be formed.
-The following reaction will take place:
${ { FeSO }_{ 4 }{ (s)\rightarrow Fe }_{ 2 } }{ O }_{ 3 }{ { (s) }+SO }_{ 2 }{ (g)+SO }_{ 3 }{ (g) }$
-This is a thermal decomposition reaction as in this reaction a single reactant ${ FeSO }_{ 4 }$ decomposes in presence of heat to form three different products.

Additional information:
-In this reaction, you can smell the gas emitted. It smells like burning sulfur.
-A thermal decomposition reaction is a reaction in which heat is released along with the decomposition of a single substance into two substances.
-Ferrous sulfate has many uses such as it is used to treat iron-deficiency anaemia.

Note: The possibility to make a mistake is that Ferrous sulfate is light green in colour and when it is heated the colour changes from light green to colourless and the burning smell of sulfur indicates that sulfur dioxide is present.