Give the conditions under which magnesium reacts rapidly with water. Write an equation to represent this reaction.
Dear student
Mg has been found to be very less reactive with cold water. This is because if Mg start reacting with cold water it forms magnesium hydroxide. This magnesium hydroxide is insoluble in water and thus will get deposited on the surface of magnesium and will further prevent it from reaction.
So if we want Mg to rapidly react with water, first of all, the magnesium ribbon has to be cleaned properly so as to remove all the hydroxide deposition if any on the surface. Then the reaction should be done in the present of steam rather than cold water as Mg reacts with steam to form MgO and hydrogen gas will be released.
Mg + H2O----MgO +H2(g)
Regards
Mg has been found to be very less reactive with cold water. This is because if Mg start reacting with cold water it forms magnesium hydroxide. This magnesium hydroxide is insoluble in water and thus will get deposited on the surface of magnesium and will further prevent it from reaction.
So if we want Mg to rapidly react with water, first of all, the magnesium ribbon has to be cleaned properly so as to remove all the hydroxide deposition if any on the surface. Then the reaction should be done in the present of steam rather than cold water as Mg reacts with steam to form MgO and hydrogen gas will be released.
Mg + H2O----MgO +H2(g)
Regards