Question

Using the standard reduction potentials, determine whether the following reactions are spontaneous under standard conditions:

A. Magnesium reducing chlorine to chloride ions

B. Silver reducing hydrogen ions to hydrogen

Answer 1

A.) We therefore expect magnesium to exist as ions in solution.

This means we expect chlorine to exist as the metal.

The spontaneous reaction would be for magnesium to oxidise to magnesium ions, and for chlorine ions to accept these electrons to produce copper metal. This is therefore a spontaneous reaction.

B.) Non-spontaneous reaction