Question

Mention 2 ways by which the reaction of magnesium ribbon and hydrochloric acid can be made to proceed faster?

Answer 1

Hint: Most metals react with acids, resulting in the formation of a salt. However, unlike the interaction between acids and bases, we do not receive water as a result of this reaction. We obtain hydrogen gas instead. This is the reaction's general word equation:
\[\text{metal + acid }\to \text{ salt + hydrogen}\]

Complete answer:
Magnesium combines with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride:
\[\text{magnesium + hydrochloric acid }\to \text{ magnesium chloride + hydrogen}\]
\[Mg\text{ }+\text{ }2HCl\text{ }\to \text{ }MgC{{l}_{2}}+\text{ }{{H}_{2}}\]
When the oxidation state of magnesium goes from 0 to +2, it is oxidised to magnesium cation, \[M{{g}^{2+}}\], but when the oxidation state of hydrogen changes from +1 to 0, it is reduced.
As a result, in this reaction, magnesium acts as a reducing agent while hydrogen acts as an oxidising agent. Magnesium chloride is produced when magnesium ribbon interacts with hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen gas is released. The temperature of the test tube will rise, with a small fizzing of gas bubbles, before the magnesium ribbon dissolves in water and becomes blue.
It makes no difference whatever metal or acid is employed; if a reaction occurs, we always obtain hydrogen gas in addition to the salt.
There are several ways to accelerate this reaction between a metal and an acid.
The first method is to break down the magnesium ribbon into smaller pieces, increasing its surface area and allowing more acid particles to contact more areas of the ribbon, speeding up the process.
The second option is to raise the acid's concentration. As a result of the increased number of acid particles in a given volume, the frequency of collisions between magnesium atoms and hydrochloric acid molecules increases, speeding up the process once again.
There are also a variety of alternative options, such as using a catalyst if possible and raising the acid's temperature.
Hence increasing the acid concentration and the magnesium ribbon's surface area are the two ways.

Note:
Magnesium chloride is used to de-ice roadways, walkways, and parking lots at low temperatures. Magnesium chloride helps prevent ice from bonding to the pavement, allowing snow ploughs to clear the roadways more quickly when highways are hazardous due to icy conditions.