chapter 7.  ELEMENTS OF GROUPS 16, 17 AND 18 class 12 chemistry textbook solution

Answer:-

Concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a powerful oxidizing agent and can undergo various reactions to demonstrate its oxidizing property. Here are two chemical reactions that illustrate its ability to oxidize other substances:

1. Reaction with Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2):

   Concentrated sulfuric acid can oxidize hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce water (H2O) and oxygen (O2):

   H2SO4 + H2O2 → 2H2O + O2

   In this reaction, sulfuric acid oxidizes hydrogen peroxide, resulting in the evolution of oxygen gas. The oxygen gas released can be observed as effervescence or bubbling.

2. Reaction with Copper (Cu):

   When concentrated sulfuric acid reacts with copper metal (Cu), it can oxidize the copper to produce copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4) and sulfur dioxide (SO2):

   2H2SO4 + 2Cu → 2CuSO4 + 2H2O + SO2

   In this reaction, sulfuric acid acts as an oxidizing agent by taking electrons from copper, causing it to undergo oxidation from its elemental state (Cu) to copper(II) ions (Cu²⁺). Simultaneously, sulfuric acid is reduced to sulfur dioxide (SO2).

These reactions demonstrate that concentrated sulfuric acid has a strong oxidizing property, as it can readily transfer oxygen or remove electrons from other substances, causing them to undergo oxidation. This property makes concentrated sulfuric acid a valuable reagent in various chemical processes and laboratory experiments involving oxidation reactions.