Question

On placing a peice of zinc metal in a solution of mercury chloride, it acquires a silvery surface but when it is placed in a solution of magnesium sulphate no change is observed. State the reason for the behaviour of zinc metal.

Answer 1

When zinc is placed in mercury chloride it displaces mercury from its solution forming zinc chloride (ZnCl) which is silvery in colour.

But when it is placed in magnesium sulphate, being less reactive than magnesium it does not react with magnesium sulphate to form any compound.

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