Rates of reaction between magnesium ribbons and hydrochloric acid. GCSE coursework.

Rates of reaction GCSE COURSEWORK CHEMISTRY 2004 AIM In the experiment we use hydrochloric acid which reacts with the magnesium to form magnesium chloride. The hydrogen ions give hydrochloric acid its acidic properties, so that all solutions of hydrogen chloride and water have a sour taste; corrode active metals, forming metal chlorides and hydrogen; turn litmus red; neutralise alkalis; and react with salts of weak acids, forming chlorides and the weak acids. Magnesium, symbol Mg, silvery …

…slight human error when stopping the stopwatch. The results helped to give a firm and reliable conclusion and it would have been hard to improve them. However, to improve the experiment, we could use a computer to time the reaction. We could also carry out the experiment with HCl of higher concentrations than 3.0M and repeat the various concentrations still further, although the pattern of results should not be very different to my own results.