Question

If a reaction occurs when a piece of metal is placed in a solution, what can you conclude about the solution?

A.) It is probably basic because metals rarely react with acids.
B.) It is basic because acids do not react with metals.
C.) It is probably acidic because bases rarely react with metals.

Answer 1

if a reaction occurs when a piece of metal is placed in a solution, what can you conclude about the solution?

it is probably acidic because bases rarely react with metals.

Answer 2

Hello!

If a reaction occurs when a piece of metal is placed in a solution, you can conclude that the solution is probably acidic because bases rarely react with metals.

Strong Acids, like HCl, react with metals to produce salts and release gaseous hydrogen (H₂) which is evidenced by the generation of bubbles in the solution. The general chemical equation for this kind of reactions for a metal M and an acid HA is:

2M(s) + 2HA(aq) → 2MA(aq) + H₂(g)

Have a nice day!