When magnesium reacts with sulfuric acid, the primary products of the reaction are magnesium sulfate and hydrogen gas. The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
Mg + H2SO4 → MgSO4 + H2
In this process, magnesium displaces hydrogen from sulfuric acid. This results in the formation of magnesium sulfate, which is a soluble salt, and hydrogen gas, which can be observed as bubbles during the reaction. The reaction is exothermic, meaning it releases heat, and it’s important to conduct this experiment with caution due to the flammable nature of hydrogen gas.