Which of the following is the balanced equation describing the combination of elemental sulphur ?

Options

A. `2H_2S+3O_2 rarr 2SO_2+2H_2O`
B. `H_2S+2O_2 rarr SO_3_H_2O`
C. `2SO_3 rarr 2S+3O_2`
D. `S+O_2 rarr SO_2`

Answer

To determine the balanced equation describing the combination of elemental sulfur, we need to follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify Elemental Sulfur
Elemental sulfur refers to sulfur in its pure form, which is typically represented as \( S \) (solid sulfur).

### Step 2: Understand the Combination Reaction
A combination reaction involves two or more substances combining to form a single product. In this case, elemental sulfur will combine with oxygen.

### Step 3: Write the Unbalanced Equation
The unbalanced equation for the reaction of elemental sulfur with oxygen can be written as:
\[ S + O_2 \rightarrow SO_2 \]
This indicates that sulfur reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide.

### Step 4: Balance the Equation
To balance the equation, we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

1. On the left side, we have:
- 1 sulfur atom from \( S \)
- 2 oxygen atoms from \( O_2 \)

2. On the right side, we have:
- 1 sulfur atom from \( SO_2 \)
- 2 oxygen atoms from \( SO_2 \)

Since both sides have the same number of sulfur and oxygen atoms, the equation is already balanced:
\[ S + O_2 \rightarrow SO_2 \]

### Step 5: Verify the Options
Now, we need to check the provided options to see which one represents this balanced equation. The correct option should show elemental sulfur \( S \) combining with oxygen \( O_2 \) to produce \( SO_2 \).

### Conclusion
The balanced equation describing the combination of elemental sulfur is:
\[ S + O_2 \rightarrow SO_2 \]