JohnMc
Member
Acid plus metal oxides yields the salt of metal/acid and water. Strong enough acid plus metal is what yields hydrogen gas.but it will react with copper oxides and zinc oxides on the surface of the brass to create copper acetate, zinc acetate and hydrogen gas.
For example, copper oxide and a weak sulfuric acid solution:
CuO(s) + H2SO4(aq)
(s) - solid
(aq) - aqueous, dissolved in water
(l) - liquid
Making hydrogen gas with HCl and magnesium strips is something I remember fondly from freshman chemistry, which was during the Reagan administration, so the acid could have been sulfuric; it's been a minute.