Activity 1.1 NCERT Class 10 Science, Chemical Reactions and Equations

CAUTION: This Activity needs the teacher’s assistance. It would be better if students wear suitable eyeglasses.

• Clean a magnesium ribbon about 3-4 cm long by rubbing it with sandpaper.
• Hold it with a pair of tongs. Burn it using a spirit lamp or burner and collect the ash so formed in a watch-glass as shown in Fig. 1.1. Burn the magnesium ribbon keeping it away as far as possible from your eyes.
• What do you observe?

Observations:

• Magnesium ribbon burns with a dazzling white flame and changes into a white powder.
• This powder is magnesium oxide.
• It is formed due to the reaction between Magnesium and Oxygen present in the air.