The Reactivity Series Flashcards
All 13 cards in this deck
What is the reactivity series?
A list of metals arranged in order of their reactivity, from most reactive to least reactive.
State the order of reactivity of potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper, most reactive first.
Potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper.
Which two non-metals are often included in the reactivity series, and where do they sit?
Carbon (between aluminium and zinc) and hydrogen (between iron and copper).
What does the reactivity of a metal depend on, in terms of ions?
Its tendency to form positive ions — the more easily it loses electrons to form its positive ion, the more reactive it is.
Which of potassium, sodium, lithium and calcium react with cold water, and what is formed?
All of them react with cold water, forming a metal hydroxide and hydrogen.
Give two observations when a small piece of potassium is added to cold water.
Any two: it floats, melts, moves around, gets smaller, effervescence, a (lilac) flame.
Which of magnesium, zinc, iron and copper react with dilute acid at room temperature?
Magnesium, zinc and iron react (magnesium fastest, iron slowest); copper does not react.
True or false? Copper does not react with dilute acid because it is below hydrogen in the reactivity series.
True. Copper cannot displace hydrogen from the acid.
How can you deduce an order of reactivity for metals from their reactions with dilute acid?
e.g. three metals each added to hydrochloric acid
- Compare the rate of effervescence: the faster the bubbles, the more reactive.
- Compare the temperature rise: the bigger the rise, the more reactive.
- Any metal showing no reaction is the least reactive.
Why is calcium more reactive than magnesium?
Calcium's outer electrons are further from the nucleus and less strongly attracted, so it loses electrons and forms its positive ion more easily.
What happens when a more reactive metal is added to a solution of a less reactive metal's salt?
The more reactive metal displaces the less reactive metal from the compound.
e.g. zinc + copper sulfate → zinc sulfate + copperTrue or false? A less reactive metal can displace a more reactive metal from its salt solution.
False. Only a more reactive metal can displace a less reactive one.
In an investigation comparing metals by measuring the temperature change when each is added to a solution, what shows that a metal is more reactive?
The greater the temperature change, the more reactive the metal.