<p>I have 7 ap chem FR problems due tomorrow, and I'm stuck on one:</p>
<p>if Zn is placed in a test tube with HCl what would happen?
and copper in the HCl?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I think you'd get ZnCl2 and H2. It's probably similar for copper, but I guess it depends on whether the copper will have a 2+ or 3+ charge.</p>
<p>Zn, being relatively active, will be oxidized, forming H2 and ZnCl2.</p>
<p>Copper, on the other hand, is not active, and no reaction occurs.</p>
<p>If you want to really impress your teacher, than the trick answer is that if there is oxygen dissolved in the water (the usually is, they dont call water the universal solvent for nothing), then a little of the copper will react to form a copper oxide, which is soluble in HCl, and will in turn result in a slight percipitate of copper chloride. This is a very slow reaction, and probably isnt what the question had in mind.</p>
<p>hah nice one dmk092 never thought of that, though im pretty sure that the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water would be so little that you wouldnt be able to see anything really happen</p>
<p>thanks for the responses! </p>
<p>Take it from me, waiting the day before free response is due when you had three weeks is a baaad idea :(</p>