Question

What occurs in the corrosion reaction of Magnesium in HCl?

Answer 1

The magnesium replaces the hydrogen in acid, resulting in the formation of magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas.

Explanation:

The single displacement reaction of Magnesium and Hydrochloric acid is where Magnesium replaces the hydrogen in the HCl molecules, to form a soluble salt and hydrogen gas.

Fundamentally, the hydrochloric acid reacts with the activate metal (Mg) producing an exothermic reaction that corrodes the magnesium metal:

`Mg_((s)) + 2HCl_((aq)) -> MgCl_((s)) + H_(2)(g)`

So, in short, the magnesium replaces the hydrogen in the acid (single displacement reaction) to produce a soluble salt (Magnesium Chloride) and produces hydrogen gas, which can be tested for using the "pop test".