Thursday, January 7, 2010

What's the difference between magnesium powder and magnesium ribbon in sulfuric acid?

I made magnesium sulphate by putting magnesium ribbon into sulfuric acid. What would happen to the rate of reaction if I had used magnesium powder instead?What's the difference between magnesium powder and magnesium ribbon in sulfuric acid?
Your reaction would have been intenser , depending on he H2s04 concentration you could have created an explosion.. the total surface of powder being in contact with the liquid is far greater than the surface of the ribbon.





Also depends how fine your powder is.What's the difference between magnesium powder and magnesium ribbon in sulfuric acid?
Reaction rate is higher because the powder has a greater surface area.
Magnesium ribbon is a pure solid form if the metal, therefore when its powder, it means that it has been oxidised - burned to the oxide- magnesium oxide. Consequently if you put magnesium oxide (powder) into the sulphuric acid the reaction will be stronger because magnesium oxide contains O. MgO will dissolve in sulphuric acid.
hi im an al evel student in chem ill tell ya


powder increases the surface area making more particles available for reaction. so the reaction rate would have increased the gradient would have been steeper but the same final end point assuming the same mass had been used in both experiments
faster rate of reaction as there is a larger surface area to react

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