Reactivity Series

Question 1

What is the reactivity series?

Answer 1

Chemical elements can be put in order according to how reactive they are. This is called the reactivity series. Elements are listed with the most reactive at the top and the least reactive at the bottom

Question 2

Order of reactivity series including mnemonic

Answer 2

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Potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc, iron, tin, lead, hydrogen, copper, silver, gold

Question 3

Observations of all metals

Answer 3

1. Float and move on the surface of water
2. Effervesce or fizz
3. Sodium might form a ball on the surface and ignite with a yellow flame
4. Potassium will ignite with a lilac flame
5. A lighted spill produces squeaky pop
6. Universal indicator,solution in pure water is green and after the reaction it turned purple

Question 4

How the equation would look if the reactants were a metal and water

Answer 4

Metal + water —> metal hydroxide + hydrogen

Question 5

Reaction of metals with acid

Answer 5

Metal + acid —> metal salt + hydrogen

Zinc + hydrochloric acid —> zinc chloride + hydrogen

Question 6

The further apart the metal is from the other metal in the reactivity series…

Answer 6

The more vigorous the reaction would be

Question 7

Displacement Reactions

Answer 7

Involve a metal and a compound of a different metal. A more reactive metal will displace a less reactive metal from its compounds.

Question 8

Oxidation

Answer 8

The addition of oxygen to a substance

Question 9

Reduction

Answer 9

Removal of oxygen from a substance

Question 10

An oxidising agent

Answer 10

A substance which oxidises something and gets reduced and gains electrons

Question 11

An reducing agent

Answer 11

A substance which reduces something and becomes oxidised and loses electrons

Question 12

What is a metal ore?

Answer 12

An ore is a rock which contains enough quantities of a metal to make it economically worth extracting the metal. Most metals are found as compounds that require chemical reaction to extract the metal

Question 13

Whether it is worth extracting a particular metal depends on what?

Answer 13

How easy it is to extract from its ore

How much metal the ore contains

Question 14

What is native state?

Answer 14

A few unreactive metals, for example gold, are found in their uncombined native state, they are so unreactive that they are found as the metal themselves.

Question 15

Examples of the metals found in the ores

Galena
Haematite
Bauxite
Chromite
Calcite

Answer 15

For example, the metal ore is galena and the metal found in the ore is lead.

For example, the metal ore is haematite and the metal found in the ore is iron.

For example, the metal ore is bauxite and the metal found in the ore is aluminium.

For example, the metal ore is chromite and the metal found in the ore is chromium and iron.

For example, the metal ore is calcite and the metal found in the ore is calcium.

Question 16

Examples of native metals

Answer 16

Gold

Platinum

Question 17

Experiment: Rusting

There is four test tubes, why is the water boiled and why is oil added in one of the test tubes

Answer 17

The water is boiled to remove dissolved oxygen

The oil prevents oxygen from the atmosphere dissolving

Question 18

What conditions are required for rust to form?

Answer 18

Oxygen and water

Question 19

Salt water was used in one of the test tubes, what effect did it have on the nail?

Answer 19

Increases rusting

Question 20

Outline the methods to prevent rust formation for the following

Grease
Oil
Paint
Plastic
Galvanising

Answer 20

Grease - protects oxygen and water vapour - used for nuts and bolts

Oil - protects oxygen and water vapour - used on bicycle chains

Paint - protects oxygen and water vapour

Plastic - coating items with a thin layer of plastic

Galvanising - coated in a thin layer of zinc

Question 21

What is sacrificial protection of iron? Explain this in terms of the use of zinc in the protection of iron

Answer 21

Zinc is more reactive than iron so corrodes instead. As it’s more reactive, Zinc loses its electrons in preference to iron which prevents irons from losing its electrons and becoming oxidised.

Question 22

Which metals rust?

Answer 22

Iron

Question 23

What are the three top methods for rusting to be prevented?

Answer 23

Barrier methods - coating the metal will provide a barrier to keep the water and oxygen away from the iron.

Galvanising - coating the iron with zinc to protect it

Sacrificial protection - zinc is used

Question 24

Extracting iron

Answer 24

A metal higher in the reactivity series and hence more reactive can displace another one from its compound. Since carbon is higher than iron in the reactivity series, we can use it to extract the iron from its ore, iron oxide (haemitite)
And so if you react iron oxide with carbon it makes carbon dioxide and iron.

When this reaction is carried out in a blast furnace, oxygen is taken away from the iron by the carbon and we say that the iron has been reduced but also we say that carbon has been oxidised because oxygen has been added to it.

Question 25

The uses and properties of the following metals

Aluminium
Copper
Iron and low carbon steel (mild)
Iron and high carbon steel
Iron and Stainless steel

Answer 25

Aluminium is used for foil and planes,BECAUSE its strong and hard but light density.

Copper is used for copper pans and jewellery, BECAUSE its unreactive and conducts heat and electricity

Iron and low carbon steel (mild) - used for wire, rails, car bodies, bridges, shop building BECAUSE it is softer, more easily shaped

Iron and high carbon steel - used for masonary nails and cutting tools, BECAUSE its hard and brittle

Stainless steel - used for knives, saucepans and the brewing industry. BECAUSE It forms strong oxide later and so it can be resistant to corrosion and is hard

Question 26

Redox Reaction

Answer 26

From any reaction when oxidation and reduction takes place is called a redox reaction