Which Is the Correct Way to Write the Reaction of Mg with Ethanoic Acid?

[Zoheb Imran]

Mg reaction with Ethanoic acid...

My Teacher told me that if we react any group 1 metals with Ethanoic acid, then it's "OH" will be replaced by metal. E.g

Na + 2CH3CO2H------> CH3CO2Na + H2

But he said that if we react any metals from group 2 then reaction will happen like this...


1, Mg(s) + 2CH3CO2H(aq) ----> Mg(CH3CO2)2(aq) + H2(g)

however, i asked him whether this was right:

2,Mg(s) + 2CH3CO2H(aq) ----> (CH3CO2)2Mg(aq) + H2(g)
He said that this is absolutely wrong! But in my 2 Chemistry course books also from Chemistry websites i saw this, the above reaction is shown. So my question is: which one is correct way to write this reaction, 1 or 2?

 

[Borek]

The only difference between both is Mg(CH3CO2)2(aq) vs (CH3CO2)2Mg(aq), so in fact your question is not about the reaction, but about correct way of writing formula for magnesium acetate. This is salt and in general when dealing with salts we write metal first.

Sometimes it makes sense to write formulas in slightly different manner, as they are more readable then (this is especially true when dealing with organic acids), but for now stick to metal first, anion later.

 

[Zoheb Imran]

So that means both are correct? and you prefer equation reaction no. 1? right?

 

[Borek]

You can put it that way.