State with reasons, whether sulphur dioxide is acting as an oxidizing agent or a reducing agent in each of the following reactions: •2H2S(g) + SO2(g) -> 2H2O(l) + 3S(s)

•SO2(g) +H2O(l) +NaClO(aq) -> NaCl(aq) + H2SO4(aq)

A) oxidizing agent is SO2

B) NaClO is the oxidizing agent

Explanation:

A) This is a redox reaction in which oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously.

Thus, in 2H2S(g) + SO2(g) -> 2H2O(l) + 3S(s);

H2S is reduced as follows;

H2S → S + 2H+ + 2e−

We can see that SO2 has been reduced while H2S gets oxidized since it has changed state from - 2 to 0 . Thus sulphur dioxide is the oxidizing agent.

B) SO2(g) + H2O(l) + NaClO(aq) -> NaCl(aq) + H2SO4(aq)

In this, SO2 undergoes oxidation and NaClO is the oxidizing agent

every chemical equation adheres to the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. therefore, there must be the same number of atoms of each element on each side of a chemical equation.

level 4 to level 2 : ))