Beryllium hydroxide is a mild basic oxide that is mostly insoluble in water. Let us focus on the products generated from the reaction between Be(OH)2 with H2SO4 in detail.
Beryllium hydroxide is a metal hydroxide base that reacts with strong sulfuric acid and forms water-soluble beryllium sulfate and water. The solution mixture becomes acidic due to the presence of the strong acid.
Let us discuss the products, type, balancing method, titration, intermolecular forces, and change of enthalpy, reversibility of the reaction between Be(OH)2 and H2SO4.
What is the product of H2SO4 and Be(OH)2?
The colorless crystal of beryllium sulfate (BeSO4) and water (H2O) are obtained as products when the weak base, beryllium hydroxide [Be(OH)2], and strong acid, sulfuric acid are reacted with each other.
Be(OH)2 (s) + H2SO4 (aq) = 2H2O (l) + BeSO4 (aq)
What type of reaction is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2?
The type of the chemical reaction, H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is-
- H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is a kind of acid-base Neutralization reaction
- H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is a Double-displacement reaction
- H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is an Endothermic reaction
- H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is an Irreversible reaction
How To balance H2SO4 + Be(OH)2?
The below-mentioned steps must be followed to balance any chemical reaction-
- First, the unbalanced chemical equation is written with a right arrow sign. Be(OH)2 + H2SO4 → H2O + BeSO4
- Calculate the number of moles present for each element in the reactant and product side.
| Elements | Mole numbers on reactant side | Mole numbers on product side |
| Be | 1 | 1 |
| S | 1 | 1 |
| O | 6 | 5 |
| H | 4 | 2 |
- To balance both sides (reactant and product) we have to multiply 2 with H2O on the product side to balance the number of moles of beryllium, hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen.
- Therefore, the final balanced equation will be – Be(OH)2 (s) + H2SO4 (aq) = 2H2O (l) + BeSO4 (aq).
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 Titration
The titration between H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is an example of a strong acid and weak base titration. In this titration equivalence point always lies below 7.
Apparatus
- Conical flask
- Burette
- Volumetric flask
- Pipette
Indicator
Phenolphthalein as an acid-base indicator.
Procedure
- Prepare the solution of beryllium hydroxide in a volumetric flask and transfer 25 ml of the solution (using a 25 ml pipette) into a conical flask. The acid-base indicator is added (3-4 drops) into the solution.
- Fill the burette with strong sulfuric acid and set it with a stand and clamp on the conical flask.
- Open the stopcock of the burette and sulfuric acid starts falling into the conical flask containing Be(OH)2 solution with indicator.
- At the equivalence point, the color changes to pink which indicates that the neutralization reaction is completed.
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 Net Ionic Equation
The net ionic equation of H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 will be-
2H+ + SO42- + Be2+ + 2OH– = Be2+ + SO42- + 2H2O
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 Conjugate Pairs
The conjugate pair equation of the reaction, H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 will be-
- Conjugate pair of H2SO4 is HSO4–
- The conjugate pair of H2O is OH–
- There are no conjugate pairs that exist for Be(OH)2 and BeSO4.
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 Intermolecular Forces
The intermolecular forces act in the reaction of H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 are-
- Electrostatic attraction force: Both the compound Be(OH)2 and BeSO4 are ionic compounds. Therefore, a strong electrostatic attraction force or Coloumbic interionic force is working between the lattice of beryllium hydroxide and beryllium sulfate. In H2SO4, this interionic force is working between hydrogen and sulfate ions.
- Van- der Waals force: All covalent compounds or ions (SO42-, H2O) are attracted through this Van der Waals force of attraction. It can be further classified into three categories which are dipole-dipole force, London dispersion force, and hydrogen bonding. All these three types of van der Waals forces are present in both the sulfate ion as well as the water molecule.
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 Reaction Enthalpy
The enthalpy changes of the reaction H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is 235.18 KJ/mol. This value is obtained from the following mathematical calculation.
| Compound name | Formation enthalpy (KJ/mol) |
| H2SO4 | -814 |
| Be(OH)2 | -904 |
| BeSO4 | -1197 |
| H2O | -285.82 |
- The formula of change of enthalpy is = (total enthalpy of products – total enthalpy of reactants)
- The change of enthalpy = {(ΔfHBeSO4 + ΔfHH2O) – (ΔfHBe(OH)2 + ΔfHH2SO4)} = [{ -1197 + (-285.82) – {(-904) + (-814)}] KJ/mol = 235.18 KJ/mol.
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 a buffer solution?
The mixture of H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is a buffer solution (acidic buffer) because it is a mixture of a weak base and a strong acid. The pH of the solution lies below 7 due to the complete dissociation of the strong acid, H2SO4 and partial dissociation of the weak base, Be(OH)2.
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 a complete reaction?
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 can only be a complete reaction if the reaction is properly written with its desired products, BeSO4 and H2O. H2SO4 and Be(OH)2 are only the reactants of this reaction. Writing only reactants cannot be the proper way to express a complete reaction.
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 an exothermic or endothermic reaction?
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is an endothermic reaction because the change of enthalpy for this reaction is positive (+235.18 KJ/mol). This positive sign indicates that the heat is generated on the product side and absorbed on the reactant side. This reaction is favored in the forward direction with increasing temperature.
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 a redox reaction?
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is not a redox reaction because the oxidation state of the elements (Be, H, S, and O) is not changed from the reactant side to the product side.
| Name of the element | Oxidation state on the reactant side | Oxidation state on the product side |
| Be | +2 | +2 |
| H | +1 | +1 |
| S | +6 | +6 |
| O | -2 | -2 |
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 a precipitation reaction?
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is not a precipitation reaction because none of the two products are obtained as precipitate after the completion of the reaction. BeSO4 is completely soluble in water due to its high hydration energy and relatively low lattice energy.
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 reversible or irreversible reaction?
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is an irreversible reaction because the product side is more stable than the reactant side. Therefore, the reaction proceeds in the forward direction. In general, most of the neutralization reaction becomes an irreversible reaction and once products are formed cannot get back to the reactants.
Is H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 displacement reaction?
H2SO4 + Be(OH)2 is an example of a double-displacement reaction because both the elements of the reactants are displaced by each other to form the products. In this reaction, Be and H displaces each other and form beryllium sulfate and water.
Conclusion
The reaction is a neutralization reaction between a weak base [Be(OH)2] and a strong acid (H2SO4). Be(OH)2 cannot be completely dissociated from the solution. But H2SO4 is a strong acid and it can be dissociated in 100%. Therefore, the resultant mixture of the products is considered an acidic solution with a pH below 7.
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