Question

When a burning magnesium ribbon is placed in a jar of carbon dioxide, it continues burning. Write the chemical equation involved in the reaction.

Answer 1

• Magnesium ribbon continuously burns when kept in a carbon dioxide jar because the oxygen in the carbon dioxide can bond with magnesium and generate an oxide. So it maintains on burning.
• The balanced equation is:

$$\begin{gathered} 2\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to 2\mathrm{MgO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+\mathrm{C}\left(\mathrm{s}\right) \\ \mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{Carbon}\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{Carbon} \\ \mathrm{dioxide}\mathrm{oxide} \end{gathered}$$

• This reaction is thermodynamically exothermic. The exothermic reaction of burning magnesium with carbon dioxide ($$C{O}_2$$) from magnesium oxide discharges energy further.

Hence, the burning ribbon of magnesium keeps on burning.