AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
(C) Copper
Copper does not react with dilute hydrochloric acid because it lies below hydrogen in the reactivity series.
The reactivity series (Table 3.2, Chapter 3) places copper below hydrogen, meaning it cannot displace hydrogen from dilute acids. The textbook explicitly states: "In the case of copper, no bubbles were seen and the temperature also remained unchanged. This shows that copper does not react with dilute HCl." Zinc, iron, and magnesium all lie above hydrogen and do react with dilute HCl to produce hydrogen gas.