\(Zn\) gives \(H_2\) gas with \(H_2SO_4\) and \(HCl\) but not with \(HNO_3\) because:

\(NO_3^–\) ion is reduced in preference to hydronium ion

The answer is (2), \(NO_3^–\) ion is reduced in preference to hydronium ion.

Nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent. This means that it can easily oxidize other substances, such as hydrogen gas. When zinc is reacted with nitric acid, the \(NO_3^–\) ion is reduced to \(NO_2\) gas, while the hydrogen gas is oxidized to water.

The other answer choices are not correct. In electrochemical series, \(Zn\) is above hydrogen, but this does not explain why \(Zn\) does not give \(H_2\) gas with \(HNO_3\). Zn does not act as an oxidizing agent when it reacts with \(HNO_3\). And \(HNO_3\) is not a weaker acid than \(H_2SO_4\) and \(HCl\).