Testing for hydrogen gas

Aim: to create a large *POP* noise to scare the crap out of my class. Also, I want to produce hydrogen gas through a chemical reaction using magnesium metal and hydrochloric acid.

Equipment: extra large boiling tube, test tube, bunsen burner, wooden splint, a bottle of acid, a piece of metal, safety glasses, retort stand.

Method:
1. light your Bunsen burner.
2. Add a small amount of magnesium metal to your test tube. Add 2 ml of hydrochloric acid.
3. Carefully invert the boiling tube above the test tube containing the metal and acid
4. hold the test tubes together for a few minutes, allowing time for the inverted boiling tube to fill with hydrogen gas.
5. If you are lazy like me, you can do steps 2, 3, and 4 using a retort stand.
6. When you think the tube is full, your lab partner should light a wooden splint.
7. Carefully and quickly remove the test tube containing the acid and metal and insert the burning splint into the mouth of the boiling tube. You have to do this without moving the boiling tube containing the hydrogen gas.

Result:
On the first day of the experiment, I failed. I could not get the pop to happen. The next day I tried again, on that day I found out what I was doing wrong. It turns out that because I moved the boiling tube before I inserted the flame, the hydrogen escaped. So the next time I tried, I made sure not to move the boiling tube and it worked. The time was right to try it with the big tube. It tube

Discussion

How is the hydrogen released from the metal:
Magnesium (Mg) has 2 electrons in its outer shell. For magnesium to become stable, it wants to lose 2 electrons. When Magnesium is put into Hydrochloric acid (HCl), the hydrochloric acid dissociates. When it dissociates, Chlorine takes the election from hydrogen and it gains a negative charge, becoming chloride. While Hydrogen gains a positive charge. This is because Chlorine is more electronegative, meaning it loves elections. Once this occurs, magnesium gives one electron to two individual hydrogens. By doing this, Magnesium gains two positive charges, a full outer shell, and becomes an ion. While the two hydrogen atoms each gain an electron and become neutral. The magnesium ion (Mg²ᐩ), with its two positive charges, becomes electrostatically attracted to two chloride ions (2Cl¯) and produces Magnesium Chloride (MgCl²). The leftover hydrogens, still want an electron in order for it to gain a full outer shell. Because of this, two hydrogens come together to form a covalent bond. This means that the two hydrogens will share their single election to form its outer shell. This results in hydrogen gas (H2) being produced.