[Lily Jasmine Evans]

Thank you!!!

[Schrödinger]

I don't think a strip of Mg in water will react with it. Unless you convert the Mg into its oxide that is.

MgO + H₂O --> Mg(OH)₂

[Arkcon]

Magnesium does react with water, especially hot water, evolving hydrogen gas in the process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium#Physical_and_chemical_properties

Lily Jasmine Evans:, can you write a balanced equation from the word description?  Its a good thing to learn how to do that when exam time comes.

[Schrödinger]

Oops, yeah hot water .. I forgot about that. Looking at the options, I was thinking on the lines of acid + metal = hydrogen evolution and stuff. Please forgive my ignorance

[Arkcon]

No problem Schrödinger:, magnesium also reacts slowly, when powdered or recently cleaned of it's oxide coating with cold water.  I didn't even know that aluminum is reactive towards water, under certain conditions, until it came up on these boards a little while ago.  http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=51041.0

But remember, the reaction of an active metal -- sodium, calcium or magnesium with water is a metal-acid reaction -- water is an acid to these metals.

[OnePound]

Magnesium undergoes two different reactions with H2O depending on which state the H2O is in. If it is as water, the following reaction occurs:

Mg + 2H2O(l) --> Mg(OH)2 + H2

And, for steam:

Mg + H2O(g) --> MgO + H2