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Help! I'm stuck of chem cw.

My coursework is about the elctrolysis of copper sulphate. But I don't know what the structure would look like, or any physical properties like boiling point. Does any1 know this or know any web sites I could find the answer?
Thanks :biggrin:

Reply 1

Abdul_M

CuSO4..... ill give you that lol, havent done electrolysis of copper sulphote yet

Reply 2

Noel

LOL, thanks but I knew that bit. I dnt no its full structural formula.

Reply 3

khil

I haven't done that either but why don't you google it? - common stuff like that you'll find online quite easily - otherwise ask your teacher or look at your textbook!

Why don't you simply work out the bonding from the periodic table? - it's do-able, and bear in mind the various oxidation states of Cu although usually at 2+ - or the most common oxidation state anyway I think.

Sulphur has 6 outter shell electrons
Oxygen has 6 as well
4 Oxygen atoms to 1 Sulphur
Cu 2+ which means a loss of 2 electrons

So if you think about it - 3 dative covalent S-O bonds with the S donating a pair of electrons to O and then the 4th Oxygen atom comes and joins as another dative covalent bond but the O donating the pair maybe? That leaves an incomplete outter shell for that particular oxygen atom - and the shell is completed with the 2 electrons lost from the Cu ion, making Cu 2+ and O 2-

So [SO4]2- [Cu]2+ is the full structural formula I think.

Please please please CHECK THIS before you use it cus this is just what I've managed to work out from the periodic table - I have NO IDEA IF THIS IS CORRECT!!!!!

But nonetheless there :smile:

Reply 4

BCHL85

In solution, copper sulphate splits up to forms 2 ions:
CuSO4 -> Cu(2+) + SO4(2-)
At the anode, copper ions will gain electrons to form copper atom.Cu(2+) + 2e -> Cu
At the cathode, if you use a metal X as a cathode
X - ne -> X(n+)
I think it's often used to purify copper. They will use the copper cathode, so that
Cu - 2e -> Cu(2+).
Copper continues forming at anode. And it's much purer than in copper mining