Reaction Series

Question 1

What is a Reaction Series?

Answer 1

A reaction series is a list of metals in order from the most reactive, to the least reactive. The most reactive have a high rate of reaction with water while the least won’t react with acid. The main way of putting them in order is measuring the rate of reaction for each.

Question 2

What is the reaction series of metals?

Answer 2

Francium Fr 2+
Caesium Cs 2+
Rubidium Rb +
Potassium K+
Sodium Na+
Lithium Li+
Radium Ra 2+
Barium Ba 2+
Strontium Sr 2+
Calcium Ca 2+
Magnesium Mg 2+
Beryllium Be 2+
Aluminium Al 3+
Carbon C
Titanium Ti 4+
Manganese Mn 2+
Zinc Zn 2+
Chromium Cr 3+
Iron Fe 2+
Cadmium Cd 2+
Cobalt Co 2+
Nickel Ni 2+
Tin Sn 2+
Lead Pb 2+
Antimony Sb 3+
Bismuth Ni 3+
Copper Cu 2+
Tungsten W 3+
Mercury Hg 2+
Silver Ag +
Gold Au 3+
Platinum Pt 4+

Question 3

Why doesn’t Aluminium tend to react in acids?

Answer 3

Because it tends to react with the air, and form a protective layer of Aluminium Oxide that prevents the Aluminium from reacting.

Question 4

What is an ore?

Answer 4

It is a rock with a high enough concentration of a metal for it to be worth extracting?

Question 5

How do you extract low reactivity metals from an ore e.g. (silver, gold, platinum)?

Answer 5

These metals don’t normally form compounds, and they can therefore be found in their pure form. This makes it easy to extract them.

Question 6

How do you extract metals with a reactivity below carbon from an ore?

Answer 6

You heat the ore with Carbon. The Carbon then reacts and displaces the metal in the compound. The metal is then seperate and can be removed.

Question 7

How do you extract metals with a reactivity above carbon from an ore?

Answer 7

You use electrolysis. This involves melting the ore to allow the movement of charged particles, and then inserting a positive and negative electrode into the pot. The ore splits into ions and the positive metal ions are attracted to one of the electrodes in the pure metal form. This is expensive.

Question 8

What is tarnish?

Answer 8

It is a compound that is formed on a metal when it reacts with the oxygen around it. It is a layer that prevents more oxygen from reaching the metal, protecting it. In the case of copper, it is called a platina.

Question 9

What is rusting?

Answer 9

It is the corrosion of iron into hydrated iron(III) oxide. It needs oxygen and water in order to occur.

Question 10

What is Sacrificial Protection?

Answer 10

It is where you coat iron with a more reactive metal like zinc. Until this metal corrodes away, the zinc reacts instead of the iron.

Question 11

How can you prevent rusting?

Answer 11

Painting, coating with plastic and oiling