Final answer:
While using sulfuric acid to convert copper compounds to copper(II) sulfate is straightforward, the presence of metal inhibitors might be problematic, and using elemental sulfur directly would require complex industrial processes. It would be more practical to obtain sulfuric acid without inhibitors or to use nitric acid for the conversion, if available.
Step-by-step explanation:
You've managed to create copper(II) acetate and copper(II) carbonate, and now you want to convert them into copper(II) sulfate. While using sulfuric acid is a straightforward method, you're concerned about the metal inhibitors present in your sulfuric acid supply and are interested in using elemental sulfur in the process instead.
Direct conversion using elemental sulfur would be a complex process and is not conventionally done in a simple laboratory setting. To create copper(II) sulfate from elemental sulfur, you would need to convert the sulfur to sulfur dioxide and then to sulfuric acid before you can react it with your copper compounds. This would require high temperatures and special conditions, which may not be feasible or safe outside of an industrial setup.
The typical method for converting copper compounds to copper(II) sulfate is to react them with sulfuric acid. Given your concern with the metal inhibitors in your sulfuric acid, you could first test the reaction on a small scale to determine if the inhibitors affect the reaction.
Alternatively, if the inhibitors do pose a problem, you may need to obtain a different grade of sulfuric acid without such additives. It's also worth noting that if you have access to nitric acid, you can dissolve copper minerals like covellite (CuS) in nitric acid to directly produce copper(II) sulfate, as the nitric acid oxidizes sulfide to sulfate.