Laboratory Preparation of Hydrogen
In laboratory settings, hydrogen gas can be prepared by reacting zinc (Zn) with dilute acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) or sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄). The chemical equation illustrating this reaction is:
\[ Zn + 2HCl \rightarrow ZnCl_2 + H_2 \uparrow \]
The apparatus required for this reaction includes a Woulfe's bottle or conical flask, a thistle funnel, a delivery tube, a beehive shelf, and a water trough. Hydrogen gas is collected using the downward displacement of water method, as hydrogen is insoluble in water.
Precautions:
It’s crucial to use dilute acid instead of concentrated acid to reduce the risk of violent reactions. Additionally, the first few bubbles of gas should be discarded as they may contain air, which is explosive when mixed with hydrogen.
This preparation is significant as it provides a safe laboratory method to generate hydrogen gas for various experiments and demonstrates the reactivity of metals with acids.