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
• Word Equation:

  • Potassium + Hydrochloric acid -> potassium chloride + hydrogen

  Symbol Equation:

  • 2K + 2HCl -> 2KCl + H2
• 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