Question

Take a big test tube. Choose a rubber stopper in which a gas tube can be fitted. Take a few pieces of magnesium ribbon in the test tube and add some dilute HCl to it. Take a lighted candle near the end of the gas tube and observe. What did you observe?

Answer 1

• Magnesium metal reacts with dilute HCl and an inflammable gas, hydrogen, is formed.
• During this reaction, the reactive metal displaces hydrogen from the acid to release hydrogen gas. 
• At the same time, the metal is converted into basic radical which combines with the acidic radical from the acid to form the salt.