Metals And The Reactivity Series Flashcards
What is the reactivity series?
The reactivity series of metals is a chart listing metals in order of decreasing reactivity.
In general the more reactive a metal is…
the more vigorously it reacts with other substances;
the more easily it loses electrons to form positive ions (cations).
What are the metals in the reactivity series in order?
Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium,
Aluminium, Zinc, Iron, Copper.
What is Potassium’s reaction with oxygen, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts vigorous when heated. Lilac flame and white solid formed. Tarnishes when freshly cut at room temperature.
Water:
(FFMD)
Reacts vigorously. Floats on the surface. Moves and fizzes. Burns with a lilac flame. Heat is released. Crackle as it disappears. Colourless solution remains.
Steam:
Reaction is too dangerous to be attempted.
What is Sodium’s reaction with oxygen, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts vigorously when heated. Yellow/orange flame and white solid formed. Tarnishes when freshly cut at room temperature.
Water:
(FFMD)
Reacts vigorously. Floats on the surface. Moves and fizzes. Melts to form a silvery ball. Heat is released. Crackle as it disappears. Colourless solution remains.
Steam:
Reaction too dangerous to be attempted.
What is Calcium’s reaction with oxygen, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts vigorously with strong heating. Brick red flame and white solid formed. Slowly forms a surface oxide at room temperature.
Water:
(FiDR&SH)
Reacts readily. Fizzes. Grey solid rises then sinks. Heat is released. Grey solid disappears. Solution appears milky.
Steam:
Reaction is too dangerous to be attempted.
What is Magnesium’s reaction with oxygen, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts readily with strong heating. White light and white solid formed. Slowly forms a surface oxide at room temperature.
Water:
Very slow reaction. A few bubbles of gas produced.
Steam:
Reacts on strong heating. White light and white solid formed.
What is Aluminium’s reaction with air, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts readily with strong heating as a powder. White solid formed. Slowly forms a surface oxide at room temperature.
Water:
No reaction.
Steam:
Reacts as a powder on strong heating. White solid formed.
What is zinc’s reaction with air, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts steadily when heated forming a yellow solid which changes to white on cooling. Slowly forms a surface oxide at room temperature.
Water:
No reaction.
Steam:
Reacts as a powder on strong heating. Yellow solid forms which changes to white on cooling.
What is iron’s reaction with air, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts readily when heated as iron filings. Orange sparks and black solid formed. Slowly forms a surface oxide at room temperature.
Water:
No reaction.
Steam:
Reacts as a powder on very strong heating. Black solid formed.
What is copper’s reaction with air, water and steam?
Oxygen:
Reacts on heating to form a black solid. Slowly forms a surface oxide at room temperature.
Water:
No reaction.
Steam:
No reaction.
What is displacement?
More reactive metals displace less reactive metals from their compounds.
For example, magnesium is more reactive than copper. It displaces copper from copper(II) sulfate solution.
magnesium + copper(II) sulfate → magnesium sulfate + copper
Mg(s) + CuSO4(aq) → MgSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
In this displacement reaction:
the copper coats the magnesium
the solution’s blue colour fades as blue copper(II) sulfate is replaced by colourless magnesium sulfate solution.
How can you work out a reactivity series?
You can work out a reactivity series for many substances by carrying out
displacement reactions.
The most reactive metal from the substances will be the substance that undergoes the most reactions, then the second most reactive will undergo 2nd most reactions etc.
What method do you use to extract metals?
Different metals are extracted from their ores using different methods depending on their position in the reactivity series.
Electrolysis of molten compounds is used to extract the most reactive metals. In principle, all metals can be extracted using electrolysis but it is expensive.
If a metal is less reactive than carbon, it is cheaper to extract it by heating with carbon.
The very least reactive metals, such as gold, occur as pure elements, but may be contaminated with other elements. They are cleaned through various chemical reactions.
