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Metals react with base to give metal salt and hydrogen gas. Here, sodium hydroxide(drain cleaner), a strong base reacts with aluminium metal and produces hydrogen gas. The gas then passed to the soap solution, creating a foam composed of hydrogen bubbles. Hydrogen loves to react with oxygen, creating an explosion. Even a tiny spark can start the reaction. Actually, the thermal impulse needed to ignite hydrogen is about 10 times less than that necessary to ignite an equivalent mixture of air and natural gas. . It is crucial to observe safety precautions when working with hydrogen. As soon as the impulse is given, this simple reaction starts:
2 Hydrogen + Oxygen → 2 Water + Heat