Question
What type of reaction is it when Zinc sulfide ore is heated in air to produce zinc oxide and sulfur dioxide gas?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The reaction you're describing involves the heating of zinc sulfide (ZnS) in the presence of air (which provides oxygen) to produce zinc oxide (ZnO) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). This reaction can be classified as a **redox reaction** (oxidation-reduction reaction) because it involves the transfer of electrons between substances, leading to changes in oxidation states.
In this reaction, zinc sulfide is oxidized (loses electrons) to form zinc oxide, while sulfur is oxidized (also loses electrons) to form sulfur dioxide. The overall reaction can be represented as follows:
\[ 2 \text{ZnS} + 3 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{ZnO} + 2 \text{SO}_2 \]
In summary, this is a redox reaction involving the oxidation of zinc sulfide to zinc oxide and sulfur dioxide.
In this reaction, zinc sulfide is oxidized (loses electrons) to form zinc oxide, while sulfur is oxidized (also loses electrons) to form sulfur dioxide. The overall reaction can be represented as follows:
\[ 2 \text{ZnS} + 3 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{ZnO} + 2 \text{SO}_2 \]
In summary, this is a redox reaction involving the oxidation of zinc sulfide to zinc oxide and sulfur dioxide.