Which one of the following elements will replace hydrogen from acids to form salts?

Metals that are positioned above hydrogen in the reactivity series can displace hydrogen from dilute acids to form a salt and hydrogen gas [t1][t5][t7]. This process is a displacement reaction where the more reactive metal 'kicks out' the less reactive hydrogen [t5]. Zinc (Zn) is a reactive metal located above hydrogen in the series, and it readily reacts with acids like hydrochloric acid to produce zinc chloride (a salt) and hydrogen gas [t1][t4]. In contrast, non-metals such as sulphur (S), silicon (Si), and phosphorus (P) do not displace hydrogen from dilute acids [c2]. Instead, non-metals typically react with hydrogen to form hydrides or form acidic/neutral oxides [c2]. Therefore, among the given options, only zinc possesses the metallic property and reactivity required to replace hydrogen from acids [t4][t7].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > What you have learnt > p. 56