06-Hydrogen

1. Who discovered Hydrogen?

• Henry Cavendish.
2. Justify the position of Hydrogen in the periodic table.
• Since Hydrogen has atomic number 1, it is placed
in the first group first row. Hence it is the first
element in the periodic table.
3. Why does Hydrogen shows dual nature?
• Hydrogen resembles the alkali metals of group IA
and the halogens of group VIIA.
4. Compare Hydrogen with alkali metals on the basis of : (i)
Ion formation, (ii) Reducing-power, (iii) Reaction with
Oxygen, (iv) Oxide formation.
• (i) Hydrogen and alkali metals can form a cation
by the loss of an electron.
• (ii) Both Hydrogen and alkali metals are reducing
agents.
• (iii) Hydrogen and alkali metals burns in Oxygen
to form Oxides.
• (iv) Hydrogen and alkali metals react with Oxygen
to form Oxides.
5. In what respect does Hydrogen differ from i) Alkali metals,
ii) Halogens?
• (i) Oxides of alkali metals are acidic, while oxide of
hydrogen is neutral.
• (ii) Hydrogen atom has only shell, while halogens
have two or more shells.
6. Which metal is preferred for preparation of hydrogen (i)
from water, (ii) from acids?
• (i) Reactive metals like, Sodium, Potassium and
Calcium are used for the preparing Hydrogen from
water.
• (ii) Metals like, Magnesium, Aluminium, Zinc, and
Iron are used for preparing Hydrogen from acids.
7. The reaction between metals like magnesium, aluminium
and zinc with steam stops after some time. Give reason?
• The oxides of these metals continue sticking to
their surface. This prevents the contact between
 steam and the metals, and the reaction stops after
sometime.
8. The reaction between metals like, sodium, potassium and
calcium with dilute sulphuric acid or dilute hydrochloric
acid is not feasible under laboratory conditions. Give
reason.
• Metals like, sodium, potassium and calcium react
violently with dilute acids. The reaction is highly
explosive in nature and hence not feasible under
laboratory conditions.
9. Why nitric acid is not used for the preparation of Hydrogen
from metals?
• Nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent and form
oxides of nitrogen instead of hydrogen. Hence it is
not used for the preparation of Hydrogen from
metals.
10. Why lead is not used for the preparation of Hydrogen
from dilute acids?
• The lead chloride or lead sulphate formed during
the reaction are insoluble in water and hence,
settle over the surface of lead. This prevents the
contact between lead and acid and hence, reaction
stops.
11. How do you prepare Hydrogen in the laboratory?
• Hydrogen is prepared in the laboratory by
treating granulated zinc with dilute sulphuric acid
at room temperature.
• Zn + Dil. H2SO4 → ZnSO4 + H2
12. Granulated zinc is used for the laboratory
preparation of Hydrogen. Give reason.
• Granulated zinc always contains copper as
impurity, which acts as a catalyst and speeds up
the reaction.
• Granulated zinc provides large surface area, which
speeds up the reaction.
13. Why Aluminium is not used for the preparation of
Hydrogen from dilute acids?
 • Aluminium is generally coated with a protective
layer of Aluminium oxide (Al2O3), which does not
allow the acid to react.
14. Why iron is not used for the preparation of Hydrogen
from dilute acids?
• Iron (Fe) reacts slowly with acids and heat is
required. More over H2S and SO2 gases are also
produced due to impurities present in ion.
15. What are the precautions to be taken during the
laboratory preparation of Hydrogen?
• Apparatus should be air tight.
• Allow the first few bubbles of hydrogen gas to
escape, as they contain air and becomes an
explosive mixture.
• Do not bring any naked fire near the apparatus.
• The lower end of the thistle funnel must dip in the
dilute sulphuric acid. Otherwise gas will escape
into the atomosphere.
16. What are the impurities present in the gas prepared
from granulated zinc?
• Arsine gas (AsH3)
• Phospine gas (PH3)
• Hydrogen sulphide (H2S)
• Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Oxides of nitrogen (NO2)
• Water vapour (H2O)
17. Hydrogen prepared from granulated zinc has a
characteristic disagreeable odour or fishy smell. Give
reason.
• Granulated Zinc contains a lot of impurities, as a
result along with hydrogen some other gases like,
Arsine, Phosphine, Hydrogen sulphide, Sulphur
dioxide etc will also be produced. Due to the
presence of these gases, hydrogen has a
disagreeable odour or fishy smell.
18. How do you purify Hydrogen prepared from zinc?
• Arsine and phosphine gases are removed by
passing the gas through silver nitrate solution.
 • Hydrogen sulphide is removed by passing the gas
through lead nitrate solution.
• Nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon
dioxide are removed by passing the gas through a
solution of potassium hydroxide.
• Water vapour is removed by passing the gas
through anhydrous calcium chloride.
19. Name the process of industrial method of
preparation of hydrogen.
• Bosch process.
20. How do you prepare water gas? Give relevant
chemical equations.
• When super heated steam (170oC) is passed over
white hot coke a mixture of equal volumes of
carbon monoxide and hydrogen forms. This
mixture is called water gas.
• C + H2O → [ CO + H2]
21. Explain water gas shift reaction.
• The water gas is mixed with twice the volume of
super heated steam and passed over a mixture of
ferric oxide and chromium oxide maintained
450oC – 500oC, carbon monoxide is oxidised to
carbon dioxide. This reaction is called water gas
shift reaction.
• Catalyst – Ferric oxide – Fe2O3
• Promoter – Chromium oxide – Cr2O3
• Temperature – 450oC – 500oC
• Pressure – Normal atmospherical pressure
• [H2 + CO] + H2O → 2H2 + CO2
22. How do you remove carbon dioxide from the mixture
of gases obtained after water gas shift reaction?
• The mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen gases
obtained after the water gas shift reaction, is
compressed to 30 atm pressure and then passed
through water, when CO2 dissolved in water and
hydrogen bubbles out.
• H2O + CO2 → H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
23. How do you remove the traces of carbon monoxide
present in hydrogen produced by Bosch process?
 •Traces of carbon monoxide is removed by
bubbling the gas through ammoniacal cuprous
chloride solution.
• CuCl + CO + 2H2O → CuCl.CO.2H2O (addition
compound)
24. How do you remove moisture from hydrogen gas
produced by Bosch process?
• The moisture is removed by cooling the gas to -
20oC, when water vapour freezes.
25. How do you produce hydrogen from natural gas?
• Natural gas contains Methane, which reacts with
steam to give hydrogen.
• CH4 + H2O → CO + 3H2
• Catalyst – Nickel
• Temperature – 800oC
• Carbon monoxide is separated from Hydrogen by
water gas shift reaction.
26. Explain oxidation.
• The oxidation of a substance takes place when:
• (i) there is addition of oxygen to a substance,
• (ii) there is removal of hydrogen from a substance.
• 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO :: Oxygen is added to copper,
therefore copper is oxidized to copper oxide.
27. Explain oxidizing agent.
• The substance that causes addition of oxygen or
removal of hydrogen is called oxidizing agents.
• Some common oxidizing agents are : Oxygen (O2),
Ozone (O3), Chlorine (Cl2), Hydrogen peroxide
(H2O2), Nitric Acid (HNO3) and Sulphuric acid
(H2SO4)
28. Explain reduction.
• The reduction of a substance takes place when:
• (i) when there is addition of hydrogen to a
substance,
• (ii) there is removal of oxygen from a substance.
• CuO + H2 → Cu + H2O :: Copper oxide is reduced to
copper on account of loss of oxygen.
29. Explain reducing agents.
 • The substances that causes addition of hydrogen
or removal oxygen is called reducing agents.
• Some important reducing agents are : Active
metals (Na, K, Ca, Al, Zn), Hydrogen, Carbon,
Carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Hydrogen
sulphide.
30. What do you mean by redox reaction.
• In a chemical reaction, if the oxidation and
reduction takes place simultaneously is called
redox reaction.
• CuO + H2 → Cu + H2O , here
• Oxygen is removed from CuO, so reduction takes
place.
• Oxygen is added to hydrogen to form H2O, so
oxidation takes place.
31. How do the following reaction with water? Write
balanced chemical equations:
• Potassium hydride
• Potassium hydride react with water
producing potassium hydroxide and
hydrogen gas.
• KH + H2O → KOH + H2
• Calcium hydride
• Calcium hydride react with water
producing calcium hydroxide and water.
• CaH2 + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2 + 2H2
32. K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe, Sn, Pb, H, Cu, Hg, Ag, Au is the
activity series. Answer the following questions.
• Name the metal which react fastest with cold
water.
• K
• Name the metal which does not react with cold
water, but reacts with boiling hot water very
slowly.
• Mg
• Name the metal which on heating reacts with
steam, but reaction is reversible.
• Fe
• Name a metal which reacts explosively with dilute
HCl.
• K or Na or Ca
• Name a metal which reacts violently with dilute
HCl.
• K or Na or Ca
• Name a metal which displaces hydrogen very
slowly from dilute HCl.
• Pb
• Name a metal which does not react with water or
dilute HCl.
• Cu