Question

For the reactions between HCl and zinc, describe the initial appearance of the metal and identify the evidence of a chemical reaction. If a reaction occurred, balance the chemical equation by filling out all coefficients, including coefficients of 1. If no reaction was detected for the metal, delete the products and write NR.

Answer 1

Zinc reacts with Hydrochloric acid in a single-displacement reaction, evidenced by bubbling hydrogen gas; zinc chloride and hydrogen gas are the products, as shown by the balanced equation Zn(s) + 2 HCl(aq) → ZnCl₂(aq) + H₂(g).

Step-by-step explanation:

When Zinc metal is initially added to aqueous Hydrochloric acid (HCl), there are no visible changes. However, as the reaction begins, there is evidence of a chemical reaction, including the vigorous bubbling of hydrogen gas. The single-displacement reaction between Zn and HCl can be represented by the following balanced chemical equation:

Zn(s) + 2 HCl(aq) → ZnCl₂(aq) + H₂(g)

This equation illustrates that zinc replaces the hydrogen in the acid, and each zinc atom gives up two electrons to form hydrogen gas and zinc chloride in an aqueous solution.