Question

How do you write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction of magnesium solid with sulfuric acid to form hydrogen gas and magnesium sulfate?

Answer 1

To solve this type of question it is important to understand the reaction condition and the type of reaction. And the most important step is to balance the chemical reaction.

Complete step by step answer:
The reaction of magnesium solid with sulfuric acid to form hydrogen gas and magnesium sulfate is mentioned below:
$Mg+{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}\to MgS{{O}_{4}}+{{H}_{2}}$
- Now we have to check whether the reaction is balanced or not. Law of conservation of mass states that both the reactants and products have the same mass. And we know that in a chemical reaction mass can neither be created nor be destroyed. Initially we will check whether the given reactants and products are correct or not. There are coefficients which are used to balance the reaction. We should remember that the subscript near each element cannot be changed; we can only change the coefficients to balance the reaction.
- So here if we check there is 1 magnesium on the right-hand side and 1 magnesium atom on the left-hand side of the reaction. Similarly, there are 2 hydrogens on the right hand side and 2 hydrogen atoms on the left-hand side of the reaction respectively and 4 oxygen atoms on both right-hand side and left hand side of the reaction respectively. And there is 1 sulphur atom on the right hand side and left-hand side of the reaction.
Hence, this reaction is already balanced.
$Mg+{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}\to MgS{{O}_{4}}+{{H}_{2}}$

Note: The chemical equation can also be written in ionic form. But the equation has to be balanced by balancing mass and charge on the reactant and product side. We have to follow the law of conservation of charge also.