A student burnt a metal ‘A’ found in the form of ribbon. The ribbon burnt with a dazzling flame & a white powder B is formed which is basic in nature. Identify ‘A’ & ‘B’. Write the balanced chemical equation.
The metal A is magnesium, while the compound B is magnesium oxide (MgO). Magnesium burns in air with a dazzling white flame, forming a white powder called magnesium oxide. Magnesium oxide is basic in nature. Following is the chemical equation for the reaction
2Mg + O2 → 2MgO