Which of the following statements is correct?

The correct answer is option 1. Metals react with acids and produce metal salts and hydrogen gas.

Let us delve into the explanation for the correct statement:

Metals react with acids and produce metal salts and hydrogen gas:

When metals react with acids, they undergo a chemical reaction. The general equation for this reaction is:
     \[ \text{Metal} + \text{Acid} \rightarrow \text{Metal Salt} + \text{Hydrogen Gas} \]

For example, when zinc (Zn) reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl), the reaction can be represented as:

\[ \text{Zn} + 2\text{HCl} \rightarrow \text{ZnCl}_2 + \text{H}_2 \uparrow \]

In this reaction, zinc displaces hydrogen from the acid to form zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) and liberates hydrogen gas (\(\text{H}_2\)).

This chemical reaction is a characteristic behavior of metals when they come into contact with acids. The produced hydrogen gas is often observed as effervescence or bubbling during the reaction. The metal salt formed is a compound composed of the metal cation and the anion from the acid.