Thread: Copper Sulfide

Hey guys,

I did a copper sulfide experiment and found the empirical formula to be Cu2S

So can you guys show me the balanced equation.

I think it looks somewhat like this:

Cu + S + O2 --> SO2 + Cu...Is this right?

wrong its CuS Balanced equation for what? you want to reduce the CuS ( cupric sulfide) to Cu and SO2 or H2S??

well based on the info you've given us, your equation is waay out

as far as I can tell your saying you found the Empirical form to be Cu2S as one of the products from the reactants Cu, S and O2
In which case you HAVE to have a multiple of Cu2S in the products, the empirical formula is sort of like the lowest form of a fraction you can get, so the product here can be Cu2S or Cu4S2 or Cu140S70 etc etc


If the empirical formula is different to the equation then please enlighten me

The reaction is more like this : 2Cu + S -> Cu2S (if you smelled SO2, it formed due to oxidation of sulphur in the presence of air and heat due to exotermic reaction). i can not see why would oxigen participate in this reaction. There are more copper sulfides known, for example: CuS, Cu2S, CuS2,...