Question

A ribbon of silvery-white element when heated in a flame burns with a dazzling white light and leaves a white powder. The white powder when dissolved in water turns red litmus blue. Answer the following:

What is the type of reaction that occurs during the burning of the element?

Answer 1

1. Any reaction that involves burning in presence of oxygen (${\mathrm{O}}_2$)is called a combustion reaction.
2. When two substances combine together to form a single product, that reaction is a type of combination reaction.
3. Oxidation is defined as the addition of an oxygen ($\mathrm{O}$) atom to a substance.
4. In the reaction magnesium ($\mathrm{Mg}$) is burning to form a white powder that is Magnesium oxide$\left(\mathrm{MgO}\right)$. The reaction can be written as:

$$\begin{gathered} 2\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to 2\mathrm{MgO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right) \\ \left(\mathrm{Magnesium}\right)\left(\mathrm{Oxygen}\right)(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{oxide}) \end{gathered}$$

3. Here, Oxygen is being added to Magnesium to form a single product Magnesium oxide ($\mathrm{MgO}$), and magnesium is burned in presence of ${\mathrm{O}}_2$.

4. Hence, it is classified as an oxidation reaction, combustion reaction, and also combination reaction.

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