What should you do if, when you add a metal to a solution in a test tube, you do not see an immediate change?

What should you do if, when you add a metal to a solution in a test tube, you do not see an immediate change? Give a reason for this|||first you have to know is is there supposed to be a reaction? if yes then the reaction is probabily too slow and you have to speed it up some how with a enzyme. Maybe you are missing a component of a intermediate reaction as well?|||Lancenigo di Villorba (TV), Italy





YOUR QUESTION :"What should you do if, when you add a metal to a solution in a test tube, you do not see an immediate change?".





I AGREE PARTIALLY PREVIOUS OPINION.


You may look for POURBAIX DIAGRAMs in Internet.


Those DIAGRAMs CONCERNS ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL INTERESTING AN ELECTRODE BASED ON A PURE METAL : IT SHOWS HOW POTENTIAL DEPEND ON THE BASIS OF pH INDEX.


Well, THE MOST INTERESTING CLUEs GIVEN BY POURBAIX CHARTs ARE DOMAIN-STABILITY OF DIFFERENT CHEMICAL COMPOUNDs FORMED BY THAT METAL.


These are very interesting clues about a chemical reactivity of a metal.


In effects, YOU MAY REMARK THAT SEVERAL pH VALUES LEAD TO INSOLUBLE COMPOUNDS.


Indeed, YOU HAVEN'T CERTAINTIES BUT YOU MAY SUSPECT THAT METAL LOOSE ITS REACTIVITY IN AQUEOUS MEDIA : METAL MAY BECOME PASSIVATED ONE.


IF I LOOKED CORRECTLY, METAL DOESN'T REACT SINCE YOU FAIL TO CHOOSE pH CONDITIONS : YOU HAVE TO CHANGE pH.


IF I LOOKED CORRECTLY, YOU HAVEN'T TO TRY WARMING :


- passivated metal undergo KINETIC RESISTANCE SO TEMPERATURE CAN'T AID YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SEVERE KINETICS LIMIT ;


- exaggerated warming MAY BREAK PASSIVATED SCALES LEADING TO ABRUPT REACTION OR EXPLOSIONs.





I hope this helps you.|||It really depends upon why you put the metal in there in the first place.





I guess I might try heating it.


I would certainly make a note of 'no visible reaction' in my notebook.


The reason for heating is to increase reaction rate.


The reason for recording is that you must record your actual observations, and not what you think you should have seen.








Ignore my suggestions at your peril.