On an activity series for metals aluminum is more active than hydrogen. Write the correct reaction to describe putting a piece of aluminum foil (pure aluminum) in 100 mL of hydrochloric acid
Al + HCl ==> H2 + AlCl3
You need to balance it.
Al+2HCI3
The reaction that occurs when a piece of aluminum foil is placed in hydrochloric acid is as follows:
2 Al (s) + 6 HCl (aq) → 2 AlCl3 (aq) + 3 H2 (g)
This reaction shows that aluminum (Al) reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produce aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and hydrogen gas (H2).
To determine the correct reaction for putting a piece of aluminum foil in hydrochloric acid, we need to refer to the activity series for metals. The activity series is a list that ranks metals in order of their reactivity, with the most reactive metals at the top and the least reactive ones at the bottom.
In this case, we know that aluminum is more active than hydrogen. Therefore, aluminum has the potential to displace hydrogen from hydrochloric acid. The reaction can be represented as follows:
Aluminum (Al) + Hydrochloric acid (HCl) → Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) + Hydrogen gas (H2)
In words, the reaction states that when aluminum reacts with hydrochloric acid, it produces aluminum chloride and releases hydrogen gas. It's important to note that this reaction occurs due to the higher reactivity of aluminum compared to hydrogen.
To determine the stoichiometry of the reaction, you would need to balance the equation by ensuring that the number of atoms on both sides is equal. However, in this case, the stoichiometry has already been balanced.