The Reactivity Series

Question 1

What is the reactivity series in order of highest to lowest?

Answer 1

Potassium Sodium
Calcium Magnesium
Aluminium Zinc
(carbon) Iron
(hydrogen) Copper
Tin Lead
Silver Gold

Question 2

What is the colour of magnesium sulphate solution?

Answer 2

Colourless

Question 3

Colour change when iron fillings are added to copper(II) sulfate solution?

Answer 3

Copper sulfate solution turns from blue to pale green

Iron filling turn from grey to brown

Question 4

Which metals react with cold air and how?

Answer 4

POTASSIUM-SILVER react slowly to form a surface layer of the metal oxide (tarnishing)
GOLD does not react

Question 5

Which metals react when heated in air and how?

Answer 5

POTASSIUM-IRON burn in air to form oxides
TIN-COPPER form oxides without burning
SILVER AND GOLD do not react

Question 6

What is the colour of the metal oxides?

Answer 6

POTASSIUM-ZINC have white oxides 
IRON has a brown (or black) oxide
TIN has a black oxide
LEAD has a yellow oxide
COPPER has a black oxide
SILVER has a brown oxide

Question 7

Which metals react with dilute acid and how?

Answer 7

POTASSIUM AND SODIUM are explosive

CALCIUM-TIN all react with dilute hydrochloric/sulfurix acid to form hydrogen and the metal chloride/sulfate

LEAD-GOLD do not react with dilute hydrochloric acid but may be oxidised by nitric acid

Question 8

Which metals react with cold water and how?

Answer 8

POTASSIUM-CALCIUM react to give hydrogen and form alkaline hydroxides (pot explodes, sod fizzes, cal bubbles)

MAGNESIUM reacts but very slowly

ALUMINIUM-GOLD do not react

Question 9

Which metals react with steam and how?

Answer 9

MAGNESIUM-IRON react to give hydrogen and form metal oxide

TIN-GOLD does not react

Question 10

What is another name for the reactivity series?

Answer 10

The electrochemical series

Question 11

How do displaced metals often appear as?

Answer 11

Attractive crystals on the surface of the more reactive metal

Question 12

Why does a more reactive metal take the oxygen when ‘competing’ with a less reactive metal?
These reactions are extremely ????

Answer 12

Because it combines more strongly with the oxygen

These reactions are extremely exothermic

Question 13

What is the thermit reaction?

What is it used for?

Answer 13

The reaction of aluminium an iron oxide to form aluminium oxide and iron
It is used to weld railway lines

Question 14

What affects the position of carbon and hydrogen in the reactivity series?

Answer 14

The temperature

Question 15

What is a redox reaction?

Answer 15

When both reduction and oxidation are occurring.

Question 16

What is oxidation?

Answer 16

The gain of oxygen

A substance has been oxidised if it gains oxygen

Question 17

What is reduction?

Answer 17

The loss of oxygen

A substance has been reduced when it loses oxygen

Question 18

What is a reducing agent?

Answer 18

A substance which reduces another substance (steals it’s oxygen)

Question 19

What is an oxidising agent?

Answer 19

A substance which oxides another substance (it gets mugged and it’s oxygen is stolen)

Question 20

Rusting is the ***** of **

Answer 20

The corrosion of iron

Question 21

What conditions are needed for iron to rust?

What speeds up the reaction?

Answer 21

Oxygen and water are needed

Salt speeds up the reaction but is not essential

Question 22

Why can steel rust?

Answer 22

It is an alloy containing iron

Question 23

How can you prevent rusting?

Answer 23

Paint/oil/grease/plastic can be used to prevent contact with oxygen or water (barrier method)

Galvanizing iron (coating it in a layer of zinc) can be used as a sacrificial method