4 Chemical Changes - Reactivity Series Flashcards
What is the reactivity series?
A list of elements ordered by their reactivity
How can metals be placed in order of their reactivity?
Add the metals to water or acid and see which ones react the most (by how much fizzing there is)
What is the name for a reaction where oxygen is removed from a compound?
Reduction
Explain why zinc can be extracted from zinc oxide with carbon but magnesium cannot be extracted from magnesium oxide with carbon
Magnesium is more reactive than carbon (1), Zinc is less reactive than carbon (1), Carbon can therefore remove oxygen from zinc oxide but not magnesium oxide (1)
Explain why gold and silver can be found naturally in the Earth’s crust
It is very unreactive
What process is used to extract metals more reactive than carbon
Electrolysis
Define an ore
A material containing enough metal in it for it to be economically worthwhile to extract the metal.
Define a displacement reaction
A reaction in which a more reactive element takes the place of a less reactive element in one of its compounds or in solution
Define oxidation in the context of loss and gain of electrons
Oxidation is the loss of electrons
Define reduction in the context of loss and gain of electrons
Reduction is the gain of electrons
Which of the substances below has been oxidized and which has been reduced? Al3+ + Fe gives Fe3+ + Al
Aluminium has been reduced and iron has been oxidised