This Is a True Story; Can You Explain What Happened

question 102

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 backing 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. Metal/Metal ion
E silver/silver(I) 0.799
Aluminum/aluminum(III) -1.677

• A) Aluminum ions react with S^2-, form an aluminum sulfide precipitate, and gaseous carbon dioxide is released.
• B) Silver ions in the presence of the baking soda, (NaHCO₃), oxidize the sulfide to elemental sulfur that attacks the aluminum foil, which produces the smelly aluminum sulfide.
• C) The aluminum acts as a reducing agent for the silver(
• I) in the silver sulfide; then the bicarbonate ion protonates the sulfide ion that is released.
• D) Aluminum is plated onto the silver surface, making it shiny again, and then the reaction of the bicarbonate with the aluminum oxide releases CO₂.
• E) Silver in Ag₂S reduces the aluminum, becomes metallic silver in the process, and releases hydrogen sulfide, H₂S.

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Definitions:

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