Q1. [1] § 3.2 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF METALS § 3.3 HOW DO METALS AND NON-METALS REACT?
Which gas is evolved when magnesium metal reacts with very dilute HNO₃ ?
- (A) Oxygen
- (B) Nitrogen
- (C) Hydrogen
- (D) Nitrogen Dioxide
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 31/5/1 Q23
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:42 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(C) Hydrogen
Magnesium (Mg) reacts with very dilute HNO₃ to evolve H₂ gas, unlike other metals where HNO₃ (a strong oxidising agent) oxidises H₂ to water.
Explanation
The textbook explicitly states: "But magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn) react with very dilute HNO₃ to evolve H₂ gas." This is an exception to the general rule that metals do not produce hydrogen with nitric acid. Examiners expect students to recall this specific exception.
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