Question

How can the following be converted into the respective nitrates? Give equations.

(b) Magnesium

Answer 1

Acid and its reactivity with metal

• An acid is a substance in which the only positive ion is hydrogen. It can be replaced by a metal or basic radical.
• When an acid reacts with a metal, the corresponding salt and hydrogen gas are produced.

Formation of nitrate of Magnesium

When magnesium metal $\left(\mathrm{Mg}\right)$ reacts with nitric acid $\left({\mathrm{HNO}}_3\right)$, it produces magnesium nitrate $\left(\mathrm{Mg}{\left({\mathrm{NO}}_3\right)}_2\right)$ and hydrogen gas $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\right)$.

Balanced chemical reaction

$\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+2{\mathrm{HNO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to \mathrm{Mg}{\left({\mathrm{NO}}_3\right)}_2\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)$