If you have “silverware” in your home, you know it tarnishes easily. Tarnish is from the oxidation of silver in the presence of sulfur-containing compounds (in the atmosphere or in your food) to give black Ag₂S. To remove the tarnish, you can warm the tarnished object with some aluminum foil in water with a small amount of baking soda. Silver sulfide reacts with aluminum to produce silver as well as aluminum oxide and hydrogen sulfide. 

Hydrogen sulfide is foul smelling, but it is removed by reaction with the baking soda. 

Classify the two reactions, and identify any acids, bases, oxidizing agents, or reducing agents.

 

Transcribed Image Text:

3 Ag₂S(s) + 2 Al(s) + 3 H₂O(l) → 6 Ag(s) + Al₂O3(s) + 3 H₂S(aq)