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Does being able to react with hot water take more metal reactivity than being able to react with HCl? To me, it seems like a metal would need to be more reactive to be able to react with hot water since HCl is a very strong acid and so should theoretically be able to react with more metals, but I am not so sure.

Edit: Context: (Question) Al reacts with hot water (boiling pt), Mg does not react with hot water but reacts with HCl, which is more reactive? According to the reactivity trends, Mg is more reactive than Al, but according to the information given in the question, it seems logical that Al is more reactive since it reacts with hot water but Mg does not. So is Mg or Al more reactive if we were to assume that everything in the question were true?

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you might as well check the reactivity series.There is no unique and fully consistent way to define the reactivity series.The reactivity series is sometimes quoted in the strict reverse order of standard electrode potentials, where it is also known as the "electrochemical series":according to the series which has been defined there is no reason behind it.It is experimentally defined and according to the reactivity series magnesium is placed above aluminium.You might as well check this link for more clarity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactivity_series#Reaction_with_water_and_acids.In your question it is given that magnesium doesn't react with hot water but it does actually vigorously. Magnesium reacts very slowly with cold water, but rapidly in boiling water, and very vigorously with acids.Aluminium reacts with acids and steam but less vigorously than magnesium.Magnesium DOES react with hot water even more vigorously than aluminium . Please check the link given. Yes another factor is the formation of oxide layer on the surface of aluminium which reduces its reactivity

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  • $\begingroup$ Al (not AI, @Jon), forms an adherent oxide on the surface under some conditions which greatly reduces its apparent reactivity. In dilute HCl, it reacts slowly, but in NaOH solution, the oxide is penetrated and Al reacts rapidly. $\endgroup$ – DrMoishe Pippik May 13 '18 at 3:23

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