The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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ACIDS AND METALS

Cavendish said that when acids react with metals, the air is the same and of the same amount whichever acid is used to dissolve the same weight of any particular metal. he therefore conluded that hydrogen comes from the metals. Was Cavendsh correct? please explain.

Kaya T.
Benoni High School - Johannesburg, Gauteng, Province
2003

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It sounds like you decided it would be faster and easier to just reprint your homework question here than to think about it yourself, Kaya :-)

Give us the elemental composition of a few metals and the formulas for a few acids, and maybe we can help you figure out which is the source of the H. It's a little easier to figure this out here in 2003 than it was in 1766.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

What Ted said in simple language- Look in your chemistry book and find the reaction of Mg or Zn with hydrochloric acid. It is in every high school chemistry book under the lab experiments. Now, you tell us what your conclusions are.I look forward to you answer.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2003