The reactivity Series

• The REACTIVITY SERIES

  helps predict how different metals will react with a variety of substances, including acids and water.

  • It ranks metals from the most reactive to the least based on how easily they lose electrons and form positive ions (cations).

  
• The order of the Reactivity series from most reactive to least reactive:

  • potassium
  • sodium
  • lithium
  • calcium
  • magnesium
  • carbon (non-metal)
  • zinc
  • iron
  • hydrogen (non-metal)
  • copper
• metal + acid -> salt + hydrogen II
• Potassium + Hydrochloric acid -> potassium chloride + hydrogen

  • 2K + 2HCl -> 2KCl + H2

  As potassium is so reactive, it would react explosively like catching fire & whizzing around as it produces loads of hydrogen.
• Control variables are:

  • concentration / volume of dilute hydrochloric acid
  • mass of metal powder
  • surface area of metal powder
  • rate of stirring
  • length of reaction time

  
• Magnesium Test 2 is an anomalous result, suggestions of why this result was obtained:

  • lower mass of magnesium added
  • surface area if magnesium too low
  • magnesium coated in magnesium oxide, so it took a while to start reacting.
  • Not stirred or stirred as quickly as the other metals
  • not reacted for as long a time as the other metals
  • break in circuit

  
• • The most reactive metals, produce the most heat.
  • The MORE VIOLENT the reaction, the MORE REACTIVE the metal.

  
• Highly reactive metals like POTASSIUM (K), SODIUM (Na) & LITHIUM (Li) react the most vigorously with water & acid, producing hydrogen gas

  • This reaction can be EXPLOSIVE with these metals due to their high reactivity.
• Metals like MAGNESIUM (Mg) & CALCIUM (Ca) react with water & acid but LESS vigorously than the metals higher up in the series.
• ZINC (Zn) & IRON (Fe) do NOT react with liquid water, instead the water needs to be in the form of STEAM in order to react. 

  • Which shows that they have an even LOWER reactivity.
  • They react with acid very slowly in comparison to the metals above.
• • COPPER (Cu), is the only one that does not react with water OR acids, showing that it is at the bottom of this reactivity series.
• metal + water -> metal hydroxide + hydrogen
• 2K + 2H2O -> 2KOH + H2
• Ca + 2H2O -> Ca(OH)2 + H2
• Fe + 2HCl -> FeCl + H2
• Potassium (K):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • Reacts violently

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • reacts violently
• Sodium (Na):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • Reacts vigorously

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • Reacts vigorously
• Lithium (Li):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • Reacts less vigorously

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • Reacts less vigorously
• Calcium (Ca):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • Reacts slowly

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • Reacts readily
• Magnesium (Mg):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • No visible reaction at room temp, but reacts slowly with hot water

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • Reacts slowly
• Zinc (Zn):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • No visible reaction at room temp. (only with steam)

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • Reacts slowly
• Iron (Fe):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • No visible reaction at room temp.

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • Reacts very slowly
• Copper (Cu):


  Reaction with water (Room temp.):

  • No visible reaction

  Reaction with Dilute acid:

  • No reaction or very slow reaction
• Displacement reactions:

  More reactive metal can displace less reactive ones.
• Mg + FeSO4 -> MgSO4 + Fe
• Cu + FeSO4 -> Nothing