Restart
6 of 10
When hydrogen reacts with a metal, how many electrons does hydrogen typically lose?
- A 1
- B 2
- C 0
- D It varies.
That's Correct!
It's Wrong!
When hydrogen reacts with a metal, it typically loses one electron to form a positive ion (H+), also known as a proton. This occurs because metals are generally more electropositive than hydrogen, meaning they have a stronger tendency to lose electrons. As a result, during the reaction, the metal atom donates one or more electrons to the hydrogen atom, causing the hydrogen atom to lose its electron and form a positive ion. This process is known as oxidation, and it is a common type of chemical reaction between metals and nonmetals, including hydrogen. The resulting ionic compound, also called a metal hydride, contains a positively charged metal ion and a negatively charged hydride ion (H-).