This Is a True Story; Can You Explain What Happened

question 68

Multiple Choice

This is a true story; can you explain what happened? Prior to a really important dinner party, the hostess discovered that her silverware was very tarnished. She needed a quick fix. She remembered reading that the tarnish (Ag₂S) would be removed if you immersed the silverware in a hot solution of baking soda (NaHCO₃) in a pan lined with aluminum foil. So she did, and so it was, but she noticed a bit of a rotten egg smell (H₂S) being produced. Which one of the following statements cannot represent what might have been happening? Metal/Metal ion
E silver/silver(I) 0.799
Aluminum/aluminum(III) -1.677

• A) Al  Al³⁺ + 3e^-
• B) Ag⁺ + e^-  Ag
• C) 2HCO₃^- +S^2-  H₂S + 2CO₃^2-
• D) HCO₃^- +S^2-  HS^- + CO₃^2-
• E) 2HCO₃^- +Ag₂S  H₂S + 2CO₃^2- + 2Ag

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