Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store
seo-qna
SearchIcon
banner

What is the molecular formula of Oleum?
A.H2SO3
B.H2SO5
C.H2S2O7
D.H2S2O8

Answer
VerifiedVerified
515.7k+ views
like imagedislike image
Hint:You should know that oleum is a dense, corrosive mixture consisting of concentrated sulfuric acid with upto 80% of sulfur trioxide. It is also used for sulfonation processes.

Complete step by step answer:
Oleum is 100% sulfuric acid H2SO4containing dissolved sulfur trioxide gas SO3. Oleum is produced by continuing to absorb SO3 gas into a recirculating { H }_{ 2 }{ SO }_{ 4 } stream. Generally you should know that the amount of SO3 dissolved in the sulfuric acid determines the strength of the oleum. In simple words when sulphur trioxide SO3 is reacted with concentrated sulphuric acid H2SO4a yellowish and oily substance is produced, this substance is known as oleum H2S2O7.

H2SO4+SO3H2S2O7

Oleum is a widely used industrial chemical utilized as an intermediate to produce many different organic and inorganic chemicals.
These include sulfonation (chemically adding sulfate) processes, nylon manufacturing, the production of dyes, nitrating reactions and hydrofluoric acid (HF) production.
Generally when released into the upper atmosphere, oleum exists as sulfuric acid particles or droplets. The acid particles dissolve in clouds, which results in the formation of fog, rain, or snow, resulting in very dilute acid solutions.
Therefore, the molecular formula of Oleum is H2S2O7. Hence option C is the required answer.

Note:
You should know that Oleum is dangerous to human health. Oleum is rapidly destructive to all body tissues, causing severe burns which may result in scarring. So handle with care!
Latest Vedantu courses for you
Grade 11 Science PCM | CBSE | SCHOOL | English
CBSE (2025-26)
calendar iconAcademic year 2025-26
language iconENGLISH
book iconUnlimited access till final school exam
tick
School Full course for CBSE students
PhysicsPhysics
ChemistryChemistry
MathsMaths
₹41,848 per year
Select and buy