Can Metals React with Water in Addition to Acids?

[sgstudent]

Metals will react with acid to form a salt and water. But won't the metal also react with water to form an hydroxide? Similarly, when I put sodium metal into a zinc sulfate solution will displacement occur or will the sodium react with water? Thanks for the help!

 

[Dadface]

What do you think? Remember that different metals have different properties.Compare,for example,sodium with gold.

 

[sgstudent]

What do you think? Remember that different metals have different properties.Compare,for example,sodium with gold.

Sodium is more reactive so it will react with water? But why won't it displace but instead react with water? Also I'm unsure why won't the sodium also react with water...

Thanks for the help!

 

[Borek]

Sodium has not time to react with dissolved Zn - it will react with water first, just because of the very high reactivity. Some metals can be reduced with metallic sodium, but it is done not in the solution, but in the molten salts. See for example: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ba-1957-0019.ch014

I seem to remember one of the light elements was first prepared in the pure form bu the sodium reduction, but for the life of me, I can't remember details.

 

[sgstudent]

Oh ok. Thanks for the help.:) then also, when I react eg Mg with HCl, Mg+2HCl-->MgCl2+H2. Then when I do the mole calculation I'll use this reactions to determine my values? So I ignore the reaction of metals and water? Reaction:Mg+2H2O-->Mg(OH)2+H2

 

[Borek]

Even if you have a reaction of Mg with water, it doesn't matter. What happens to the Mg(OH)₂ in the presence of acid? What is the overall reaction?

 

[sgstudent]

Even if you have a reaction of Mg with water, it doesn't matter. What happens to the Mg(OH)₂ in the presence of acid? What is the overall reaction?

I know that it would produce a salt too, but won't the calculations be different?

 

[Borek]

Write overall reaction equation.

 

[sgstudent]

Write overall reaction equation.

Mg+H2O+2HCL>MgCl2+H2+H2O Ohh, the H2O produced would cancel out!

 

[sgstudent]

Borek, you are a genius.

 

[Borek]

Quite the opposite, but I will spare you details.