To obtain pure carbon (II) oxide from its mixture with carbon (IV) oxide, the mixture should be

To obtain pure carbon (II) oxide from its mixture with carbon (IV) oxide, the mixture should be

Answer Details

To obtain pure carbon (II) oxide from its mixture with carbon (IV) oxide, the mixture should be passed over heated copper (II) oxide. This is because copper (II) oxide is a good oxidizing agent that reacts with carbon (II) oxide (CO) to form carbon dioxide (CO2) leaving behind pure carbon (II) oxide. The reaction is as follows:
2CO + CuO ? 2CO2 + Cu
is therefore the correct answer.
Bubbling the mixture through water () or sodium hydroxide () would not separate the two gases, as both CO and CO2 are soluble in water and sodium hydroxide. Bubbling the mixture through concentrated tetroxosulphate (VI) acid () could also not separate the two gases because carbon (II) oxide is reducing and would react with the acid to form carbon dioxide gas.