When an acid reacts with a metal such as zinc, whats released? Where does the product come from? I answered: a gas hydrogen is released and it comes from the bubbles formed when an acid is added to a metal' is the 2nd part of the q correct??

you are correct, but where do the bubbles come from?

They come from the water molecules. The metal replaces one of the hydrogen atoms, and the displaced hydrogen forms bubbles.

Thus, the metal which was separate combines to form a hydroxide, leaving the hydrogen separate, and away it goes.

The above assumes that the acid consists of an aqueous solution. HCl reacts with Na to produce NaCl and Cl2 gas, not hydrogen. In fact, I guess my answer is actually wrong; a gas atom is displaced, but it's not necessarily hydrogen.

Yes, the second part of your answer is correct. When an acid reacts with a metal, such as zinc, a gas called hydrogen is released. The hydrogen gas is produced as a result of the chemical reaction between the acid and the metal.

To understand where the hydrogen gas comes from, we need to look at the reaction itself. When an acid reacts with a metal, such as zinc, the acid molecules interact with the metal atoms. This interaction causes the metal atoms to lose electrons, forming positively charged metal ions. At the same time, the acid molecules gain electrons, forming negatively charged ions.

In the case of zinc reacting with hydrochloric acid, for example, the reaction can be represented as:

Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) -> ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)

In this reaction, zinc (Zn) reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produce zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and hydrogen gas (H2).

The hydrogen gas is formed as a result of the reduction half-reaction that occurs when the metal (in this case, zinc) loses electrons and is oxidized. The released hydrogen gas appears as bubbles during the reaction.

So, to summarize, the product released when an acid reacts with a metal such as zinc is hydrogen gas. This gas is formed as a result of the reduction half-reaction occurring when the metal loses electrons and is oxidized. The hydrogen gas, in turn, appears as bubbles during the reaction.