LAQ : H2S cannot be dried by using concentrated H2SO4

Question

H₂S cannot be dried by using concentrated H₂SO₄-explain why with balanced equations.

Answer

H₂S cannot be dried by using concentrated H₂SO₄ because H₂SO₄ reacts with H₂S to form sulfur and water, which can lead to the formation of a highly explosive mixture of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

H₂SO₄ + H₂S → 2H₂O + S

As seen in the equation, the reaction between H₂SO₄ and H₂S leads to the formation of water and elemental sulfur. Therefore, H₂SO₄ cannot be used to dry H2S gas as it will not remove moisture and can lead to the formation of a hazardous mixture.