Worksheet Oxygen

2) September 2003 Paper I number 3

This question deals with the oxides of carbon, silicon and sulfur.
(a) Give the formula of the oxide(s) of:
(i) carbon, (ii) silicon, (iii) sulfur. (3 marks)

(b) Draw the electronic structure (showing the outer shell electrons only) of ONE oxide of
each of the following elements:
(i) carbon, (ii) sulfur. (2 marks)

(c) Draw the molecular structure of the oxide of silicon and explain how this accounts for the
physical properties of the oxide. (3 marks)

(d) Write an equation to represent the reaction with NaOH of one oxide of each of the
following elements:
(i) carbon, (ii) sulfur. (2 marks)

3) May 2004 Paper I number 5

(a) Explain why it is possible to distinguish between the allotropes of oxygen on the basis of
chemical tests while this is not possible for the allotropes of sulfur.
(2 marks)
(b) Write an equation for a reaction given by ozone but not oxygen. (2 marks)
(c) Explain fully why H2O is a liquid at room temperature while H2S is a gas. (2
marks)
(d) Oxygen and sulfur form the following fluorides: OF2, SF4 and SF6.
(i) Explain why oxygen does not form OF4 and OF6. (1 mark)
(ii) Use the valence shell electron pair repulsion theory to explain the shape of sulfur
hexafluoride. (2 marks)
(iii) The presence, in air, of both CO 2 and SO2 affects the pH of atmospheric water droplets
but to different extent. Explain, giving relevant chemical equations. (3
marks)

Answers
2) September 2003 Paper I number 3
(a) Carbon: CO, CO2, (C3O2 carbon suboxide)
Silicon: SiO2
Sulfur: SO2, SO3
(3 marks)

(b) Carbon monoxide:

Carbon dioxide:

Sulfur dioxide:

Sulfur trioxide:

(2 marks)
(c) Silicon dioxide structure: it is a macromolecular structure in which each silicon atom is
the centre of a tetrahedral, attached to four oxygen atoms by strong covalent bonds. Each
oxygen atom is attached to two silicon atoms in a V-shape.

The macromolecular structure results in a solid with a very high melting point as the covalent
bonds require a large amount of energy to break. It is insoluble in water due to its strong non-
polar bonds. (3 marks)

(d) (i) 2NaOH(aq) + CO2(g) → Na2CO3(aq) + H2O(l)

OR NaOH(aq) + CO(g) → HCOO-Na+(aq) at high temperatures

(ii) 2NaOH(aq) + SO2(g) → Na2SO3(aq) + H2O(l)

OR 2NaOH(aq) + SO3(g) → Na2SO4(aq) + H2O(l) (2 marks)

3) May 2004 Paper I number 5

(a) The allotropes of oxygen are dioxygen, O 2, and trioxygen (ozone), O3. The oxygen atoms
in the two molecules are bonded together in a different way. As a result, they react differently
so that they can be distinguished chemically.
The allotropes of sulfur are rhombic and monoclinic sulfur. They are both made up of S 8
molecules arranged in a ring. The difference lies in the arrangement of the S8 molecules
relative to each other. Therefore, they react in the same way.

(b) Ozone reacts with alkenes to form an ozonide:

OR:
Ozone oxidizes black lead(II) sulfide into lead(II) sulfate(VI) which is white:

3PbS(s) + 4O3(g) → 3PbSO4(s)

OR:
Ozone oxidizes iodide ions in solution into iodine. A reddish-brown solution is obtained. This
solution gives a blue-black colour with starch.

O3(g) + 2I-(aq) + H2O(l) → 2OH-(aq) + I2(aq) + O2(g)

(c) In water, the hydrogen atom is attached to the highly electronegative oxygen atom so that
it has a high partial positive charge. In hydrogen sulfide, the hydrogen atom is attached to a
sulfur atom which is less electronegative than oxygen. As a result, the partial positive charge
on the hydrogen atom in H2S is much less than that in H2O.
The high electronegativity of the oxygen atom is due to its small atomic radius and poor
shielding effect.
Therefore, in water the intermolecular bonds are much stronger than those in hydrogen
sulfide. Water molecules form hydrogen bonds while hydrogen sulfide has dipole-dipole
interactions between its molecules. Dipole-dipole interactions are much weaker than
hydrogen bonds.
The stronger intermolecular bonding in water makes it a liquid at room temperature while
hydrogen is a gas. (2
marks)

(d) (i) Electronic configurations: O 1s22s22p4 ; S 1s22s22p63s23p4

Both have two unpaired electrons in their p-orbitals and these can be shared with other atoms.
Oxygen has no d-orbital in its outer shell because the outer shell is the second shell. As a
result it cannot promote electrons from its 2p-orbitals as too much energy is needed to
promote them into the 3s orbital.

On the other hand, sulfur has empty 3d-orbitals. When it promotes one of its paired 3p
electrons to an empty d-orbital it can form 4 bonds, thus forming SF 4. The energy needed to
promote the electron is compensated for by the energy given off when two extra bonds are
formed.
SF6 is formed when sulfur unpairs its paired 3p and 3s electrons into the empty 3d-orbitals.
The energy needed is compensated for by that given off when the four extra bonds are
formed.

(ii) Sulfur has six outer electrons which can be used for
bonding. As all its outer electrons are shared it has no lone
pairs. Therefore, the sulfur atom has six electron pairs around
it. For minimum repulsion they are arranged octahedrally.

(e) Carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are acidic oxides. They dissolve in water forming an
acidic solution. Sulfur dioxide is more soluble than carbon dioxide.

CO2(g) + H2O(l) ⇌ H2CO3(aq) ⇌ H+(aq) + HCO3-(aq)

SO2(g) + H2O(l) ⇌ H2SO3(aq) ⇌ H+(aq) + HSO3-(aq)

Carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid which is a weak acid. Sulfur dioxide forms sulfuric(IV)
acid which is also a weak acid but it is stronger than carbonic acid. As a result, sulfur dioxide
lowers the pH of water more than carbonic acid. Sulfuric(IV) acid is oxidized by air into
sulfuric(VI) acid which is a strong acid causing a further decrease in pH. As a result, the
effect of sulfur dioxide on the pH of water is much larger than that of carbon dioxide.
(3 marks)