Question

Nascent hydrogen is more powerful reducing agent than ordinary hydrogen because:
A. Nascent hydrogen is in atomic state and atoms are more active than molecules
B. Nascent hydrogen is evolved in small bubbles containing the gas under great pressure
C. Nascent hydrogen is activated by the energy liberated in the reaction in which it is formed, so the nascent hydrogen becomes more energised and active
D. All of them

Answer 1

Hint: Try to recall the nature and all the properties of nascent hydrogen. Nascent hydrogen is a form of hydrogen.

Complete step by step answer:

Nascent Hydrogen - The hydrogen gas, which is just liberated as a result of a chemical is called nascent hydrogen or newly born hydrogen.

Molecular hydrogen - Molecular hydrogen is essentially hydrogen which has been reduced by or has reduced another hydrogen atom. It will only reduce elements or compounds with a greater oxidizing potential than nascent hydrogen.

Nascent hydrogen is more reactive than ordinary hydrogen. If ordinary hydrogen is passed through acidified ${KMnO}_4$ (Pink coloured) it does not get decolourised. However, if zinc pieces are added to the same solution, bubbles of hydrogen rise up through the solution and the colour is discharged due to the reduction of ${KMnO}_4$ by nascent hydrogen.
When Zinc is passed through dil $H_{2}S{O}_4$(present in acidified ${KMnO}_4$) nascent hydrogen is produced as:
     $Zn+dil.H_{2}S{O}_4\to ZnS{O}_4+2[H]$
So, from all these statements we can conclude that the correct option is D.

Additional information: Atomic hydrogen - Atomic hydrogen is extremely reactive, being more reactive than ordinary, nascent, or adsorbed oxygen.
When it is passed over metals or non-metals, it forms hydrides at normal temperatures, except for nitrogen, to which it does not react.
Atomic hydrogen is an extremely powerful reducing agent, reducing oxides chlorides and sulphides of some metals like Ag, Hg, Cu etc. to metals at ordinary temperature.

Note: Nascent hydrogen is obtained by passing dihydrogen gas at atmospheric pressure through an electric arc between two tungsten rods. The electric arc maintains a temperature around 4000 - 4500°C. As the molecules of hydrogen gas pass through the electric arc, these absorb energy and get dissociated into atoms as nascent hydrogen.