Hydrogen sulfide in water
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When hydrogen sulfide dissolves in water, does the water change color?
This post was last edited by qugd on 2019-7-9 at 11:06. Hydrogen sulfide is colorless; its aqueous solution remains colorless when there is not enough dissolved oxygen in the water, and no other oxidizing agents are present. A hydrogen sulfide solution will only take on color when there is dissolved oxygen in water or oxidizing substances present, as this leads to the formation of small amounts of sulfur or polysulfide compounds. In other words, the newly prepared hydrogen sulfide aqueous solution is colorless; over time it develops a color, but this color is not caused by the dissolution of hydrogen sulfide itself, rather it results from the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide in the water into other colored substances. If hydrogen sulfide is dissolved in oxygen-free water and protected with nitrogen, it will remain colorless no matter how long it is stored. What was said upstairs about colors shows a complete lack of understanding of the true properties of hydrogen sulfide solutions.
Thank you for your detailed answers! :)