How do copper and magnesium metals react with nitric acid?

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How do copper and magnesium metals react with nitric acid?

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Answer 1 · 2017-08-26T05:54:26

Well, magnesium and zinc are quite active metals.........

Explanation:

And so.....

$M g (s) + 2 H N O_{3} (a q) \to M {g (N O_{3})}_{2} (a q) + H_{2} (g) ↑ ⏐$ $Mg(s) + 2HNO_3(aq) rarr Mg(NO_3)_2(aq)+H_2(g)uarr$

$Z n (s) + 2 H N O_{3} (a q) \to Z n {(N O_{3})}_{2} (a q) + H_{2} (g) ↑ ⏐$ $Zn(s) + 2HNO_3(aq) rarr Zn(NO_3)_2(aq)+H_2(g)uarr$

That is the metals are active enuff to reduce hydrogen ion to dihydrogen.

On the other hand... copper is a little bit less active.

Copper metal is oxidized to $C u^{2 +}$ $Cu^(2+)$ :

$C u \to C u^{2 +} + 2 e^{-}$ $CurarrCu^(2+) + 2e^(-)$

And nitrate is REDUCED to $N O_{2}$ $NO_2$ if the nitric acid is concentrated...

$N O_{3}^{-} + 2 H^{+} + e^{-} \to N O_{2} (g) ↑ ⏐ ⏐ + H_{2} O$ $NO_3^(-) + 2H^(+) + e^(-) rarr NO_2(g)uarr+H_2O$

And so the overall equation.....

$C u (s) + 4 H N O_{3} (a q) \to C u {(N O_{3})}_{2} (a q) + 2 N O_{2} (g) ↑ ⏐ + 2 H_{2} O (l)$ $Cu(s) + 4HNO_3(aq) rarr Cu(NO_3)_2(aq) + 2NO_2(g)uarr+2H_2O(l)$

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How do copper and magnesium metals react with nitric acid?

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