Question

What happens when steam is passed over red hot iron? Write the equation.

Answer 1

Hint: Try to recall that when steam is passed over red hot iron, then iron reacts with steam to form corresponding iron oxide and liberate hydrogen gas. Now, by using this you can easily answer the given question.

Complete answer:

• It is known that the reaction between iron and water takes place only when the iron used is red-hot and the condition of state of matter of water has to be in gaseous form or the best-steam.
• Iron is very inactive with cold water or hot water but at high temperature it reacts with steam.
• So, when steam is passed over red hot iron, then red hot iron reduces steam to hydrogen gas and it gets oxidised to ferric oxide ($F{e_3}{O_4}$). The reaction is as follows:

$3Fe(s) + {H_2}O(g) \to F{e_3}{O_4}(s) + {H_2}(g)$

• The reaction of steam with red hot iron is reversible so it would again create the reactants of the above chemical reaction. Therefore if the purpose is to make $F{e_3}{O_4}$ then we have to remove hydrogen so that it does not react again with ferric oxide to form reactants.

Note:

• It should be remembered to you that $F{e_3}{O_4}$ is known as ferrous ferric oxide or magnetite oxide or black iron oxide. It is a mixture of two iron oxides: ferric oxide ($FeO$) and ferrous oxide ($F{e_2}{O_3}$).
• Also, you should remember that other metals like zinc, aluminium also do not react with cold water or hot water but react with steam.