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Post Closed as "Needs details or clarity" by Mithoron, Mathew Mahindaratne, user55119, Poutnik, Todd Minehardt
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Melvin
Melvin
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My question concerns how energy is used in chemical reactions. I am working with a reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid in a class (although this is not a homework question). What I've found is that the magnesium gives away its valence electrons to either the hydrogen or to the chloride. But in the second case, the chloride ions would first give their valence electrons to the hydrogen, and then they would accept the electrons from a magnesium atom. As I was thinking about which of the cases was more probable, I started thinking about the energy involved. For example, I would think that moving the electrons first from the chloride ions to the hydrogen, and then from the magnesium to the chloride, would use much more energy than the magnesium just giving its electrons to the hydrogen ions.

My question is, as a general rule of thumb, although I wouldn't mind a detailed answer, are reactions that, like this one (as far as I know), have multiple "ways" of reacting going to take the way that uses the minimal amount of energy? Or are the electrons free to move to whichever atom is closest?

My question concerns how energy is used in chemical reactions. I am working with a reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid (although this is not a homework question). What I've found is that the magnesium gives away its valence electrons to either the hydrogen or to the chloride. But in the second case, the chloride ions would first give their valence electrons to the hydrogen, and then they would accept the electrons from a magnesium atom. As I was thinking about which of the cases was more probable, I started thinking about the energy involved. For example, I would think that moving the electrons first from the chloride ions to the hydrogen, and then from the magnesium to the chloride, would use much more energy than the magnesium just giving its electrons to the hydrogen ions.

My question is, as a general rule of thumb, although I wouldn't mind a detailed answer, are reactions that, like this one (as far as I know), have multiple "ways" of reacting going to take the way that uses the minimal amount of energy? Or are the electrons free to move to whichever atom is closest?

My question concerns how energy is used in chemical reactions. I am working with a reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid in a class (although this is not a homework question). What I've found is that the magnesium gives away its valence electrons to either the hydrogen or to the chloride. But in the second case, the chloride ions would first give their valence electrons to the hydrogen, and then they would accept the electrons from a magnesium atom. As I was thinking about which of the cases was more probable, I started thinking about the energy involved. For example, I would think that moving the electrons first from the chloride ions to the hydrogen, and then from the magnesium to the chloride, would use much more energy than the magnesium just giving its electrons to the hydrogen ions.

My question is, as a general rule of thumb, although I wouldn't mind a detailed answer, are reactions that, like this one (as far as I know), have multiple "ways" of reacting going to take the way that uses the minimal amount of energy? Or are the electrons free to move to whichever atom is closest?

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Melvin
Melvin
  • 137
  • 1
  • 7

Energy in chemical reactions

My question concerns how energy is used in chemical reactions. I am working with a reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid (although this is not a homework question). What I've found is that the magnesium gives away its valence electrons to either the hydrogen or to the chloride. But in the second case, the chloride ions would first give their valence electrons to the hydrogen, and then they would accept the electrons from a magnesium atom. As I was thinking about which of the cases was more probable, I started thinking about the energy involved. For example, I would think that moving the electrons first from the chloride ions to the hydrogen, and then from the magnesium to the chloride, would use much more energy than the magnesium just giving its electrons to the hydrogen ions.

My question is, as a general rule of thumb, although I wouldn't mind a detailed answer, are reactions that, like this one (as far as I know), have multiple "ways" of reacting going to take the way that uses the minimal amount of energy? Or are the electrons free to move to whichever atom is closest?