Question

Write a balanced equation describing the reduction of ${\mathbf{\text{H}}}_{\mathbf{\text{2}}}{\mathbf{\text{SeO}}}_{\mathbf{\text{4}}}$by${\mathbf{\text{SO}}}_{\mathbf{\text{2}}}$ to produce selenium.

Short answer

The balanced equation is shown as:.${\text{H}}_{\text{2}}{\text{SeO}}_{\text{4}}{\text{(aq) + 3 SO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}\to {\text{Se(s) + 3 SO}}_{\text{3}}{\text{(g) +H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O(l)}$

Step-by-step solution

Define balanced equation:

A balanced equation for a chemical reaction is in which the number of atoms for each element in the reaction and the total charge is the same both sides of the reaction.

Evaluating the balanced equation

Selenic acid is a selenium oxoacid.

It is said to be a conjugate acid of a hydrogenselenate.

As predicted by the VSEPR theory, the molecule is tetrahedral.

Selenic acid can be reduced by using${\text{SO}}_{\text{2}}$yielding selenium.

Then, the balanced chemical equation is shown below as:

${\text{H}}_{\text{2}}{\text{SeO}}_{\text{4}}{\text{(aq) + 3 SO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}\to {\text{Se(s) + 3 SO}}_{\text{3}}{\text{(g) +H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O(l)}$

Therefore, the balanced equation is:${\text{H}}_{\text{2}}{\text{SeO}}_{\text{4}}{\text{(aq) + 3 SO}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}\to {\text{Se(s) + 3 SO}}_{\text{3}}{\text{(g) +H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O(l)}$ .