Final answer:
Silver does not react with hydrochloric acid; hence, there would be no reaction. This is due to silver's position below hydrogen in the reactivity series, indicating it doesn't replace hydrogen in acid reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When silver is placed in hydrochloric acid, you would expect to see no reaction (a). Silver is a noble metal and is placed below hydrogen in the reactivity series, which means it does not react with dilute acids like hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas or any other products.
The reaction between silver (Ag) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) can be represented as Ag(s) + HCl(aq) → NR (no reaction). In contrast, metal reactions that are above hydrogen in the reactivity series, such as zinc, do react with hydrochloric acid, leading to the production of hydrogen gas and the corresponding metal chloride.