Magnesium starts floating when it reacts with hot water because the bubbles of hydrogen gas formed during the reaction stick to its surface, reducing its density and causing it to float.
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Magnesium starts floating when it reacts with hot water because the bubbles of hydrogen gas formed during the reaction stick to its surface, reducing its density and causing it to float.
When magnesium reacts with hot water, it forms magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. The reaction is more vigorous at higher temperatures. The hydrogen gas produced adheres to the surface of the magnesium, creating buoyant bubbles that make the metal rise and float on the water’s surface. The increased temperature accelerates the reaction, leading to a faster evolution of hydrogen gas and more buoyancy. The hydrogen bubbles displace water and reduce the overall density of the magnesium, causing it to rise. This floating phenomenon demonstrates the displacement of water by the evolved gas during the exothermic chemical reaction.