In the given equation: Fe + H2SO4 = Fe2(SO4)3 + H2
To determine the oxidation numbers, we assign oxidation numbers to each element in the equation.
1. Fe: The oxidation number of Fe is 0 since it is in its elemental form.
2. H2SO4:
- H has an oxidation number of +1.
- S has an oxidation number of +6 since it is in the sulfate ion (SO4)2-.
- O has an oxidation number of -2.
3. Fe2(SO4)3:
- Fe has an oxidation number of +3 since it is in the Fe2+ ion.
- S has an oxidation number of +6 since it is in the sulfate ion (SO4)2-.
- O has an oxidation number of -2.
4. H2:
- H has an oxidation number of 0 since it is in its elemental form.
Now, let's analyze the oxidation and reduction parts of the equation:
Oxidation: Fe is oxidized from an oxidation number of 0 to +3 in Fe2(SO4)3.
Reduction: H2SO4 is reduced. The sulfur (S) in H2SO4 goes from an oxidation number of +6 to +4 in Fe2(SO4)3, and the hydrogen (H) in H2SO4 goes from an oxidation number of +1 to 0 in H2.
Overall, in this equation, Fe is oxidized, and H2SO4 is reduced.