Asked by lo

What is the missing component in the reaction

HCl

Cl2

Na

HBr
right arrow upper M g upper O plus upper H subscript 2. ?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The missing reactant is water (steam).

Mg(s) + H2O(g) → MgO(s) + H2(g)

Explanation: magnesium reacts with steam (not cold water) to give magnesium oxide and hydrogen gas. With cold water Mg tends to give Mg(OH)2 (or is unreactive due to passivation), and with acids (HCl, HBr) it gives the corresponding magnesium salt + H2, not MgO.