The reaction of metals with dilute acids

• Metals also react with dilute acids such as
• Dilute hydrochloric acid
• Hydrogen gas is released as a by product of the reaction
• Metals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc that react with water react even more vigorously with dilute acids
• Metals that react with the acid dissolve and disappear in the acid
• They form a salt with the acid
• The word equation for these is:
• \text{metal + acid}\rightarrow\text{salt +hydrogen}
• If the metals react with sulphuric acid the salts are called sulphates
• If hydrochloric acid reacts with metals to form salts known as chloride
• For example:
• \text{sodium+hydrochloric acid} \rightarrow\text{sodium chloride (common salt)+hydrogen}
• \text{magnesium+hydrochloric acid}\rightarrow\text{magnesium chloride+hydrogen}
• \text{magnesium+sulphuric acid}\rightarrow\text{magnesium sulphate+hydrogen}
• Metals with a high affinity for oxygen also tend to react vigorously and sometimes violently with dilute acids

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