reactivity

• What are the products when a metal reacts with cold water?

  Metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
• What are the products when a metal reacts with steam?

  Metal oxide and hydrogen gas.
• What are the products when a metal reacts with a dilute acid?

  Salt and hydrogen.
• If a metal reacts with cold water, what does it suggest about the reactivity of this metal?

  It suggests the metal is very reactive as only the most reactive metals can react with cold water.
• A metal reacts with oxygen but not acid or cold water. What does this suggest about the reactivity of this metal?

  Not very reactive, most metals react with oxygen.
• Name a metal which will not react with water, acid, or oxygen.

  Gold.
• Describe an experiment that uses displacement to compare the reactivity of two metals.

  • Add a solid metal to a salt solution (the salt must contain a different metal).
  • If the solid metal is more reactive, it will gradually disappear, displacing the metal in the salt solution.
  • If nothing happens, the metal in the salt is more reactive and can’t be displaced.
• What would you expect to observe when magnesium is added to copper sulfate solution?

  The blue solution decolourises and the solid magnesium disappears
• Why can a displacement reaction be called a redox reaction? Explain in terms of electron transfer.

  As one element is losing electrons(oxidation) whereas another element is gaining electrons(reduction)
• Fill in the gap: ‘The reactivity of a metal is related to its tendency to form _______’.

  Cations (positive ions).
• Which metals are most easily oxidised?

  The metals highest in the reactivity series.
• what is the reactivity series 


  a table that lists metals in order of their reactivity
• how does the reactivity series go

  potassium , sodium , calcium , magnesium , aluminium , carbon , zinc , iron , lead , hydrogen , copper , silver , gold
• how will very reactive metals react with an acid 


  they will fizz vigorously , less reactive metals will bubble a bit , and unreactive metals wont react at all ,
• What can hydrogen be used to demonstrate in chemistry?

  Metals' reactivity
• How can you show that hydrogen is forming during a reaction?

  By using the burning splint test
• What does a louder squeaky pop indicate in the burning splint test?

  More hydrogen has been produced and the metal is more reactive
• What is the procedure to use hydrogen to show a metal's reactivity?

  1. Conduct a reaction that produces hydrogen.
  2. Use a burning splint to test for hydrogen.
  3. Observe the loudness of the pop:

  • Louder pop = more hydrogen produced.
  • Indicates higher reactivity of the metal.

  1. Measure the rate of bubble production to assess reaction speed.