Metals react with acids to produce salts and water, but their reactivity with water varies significantly. Sodium, being highly reactive, will preferentially react with water rather than displacing zinc from zinc sulfate solution. This is due to its strong tendency to form hydroxides when in contact with water. In contrast, less reactive metals like gold do not exhibit this behavior. When magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid, it produces magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas, and the presence of water does not alter the overall stoichiometry of the reaction significantly. The reaction of magnesium with water to form magnesium hydroxide is secondary and does not affect the calculations for the acid reaction, as the water produced can be considered to cancel out in the overall equation. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding the reactivity series of metals and how it influences their interactions with acids and water.
