metal reactivity

• reactivity series


  a list of metals which shows them in order of their reactivity, with the most reactive at the top
• for metals, their reactivity is determined by...

  how easily they lose electrons - forming positive ions
• when metals react with water or acid...

  they lose electrons and form positive ions
• what is the most reactive metal in the reactivity series?

  potassium (K)
• what is the least reactive metal in the reactivity series?

  platinum (Pt)
• reactivity series


  potassium (K)

  sodium (Na)

  lithium (Li)

  calcium (Ca)

  magnesium (Mg)

  aluminium (Al)

  ~carbon (C)~

  zinc (Zn)

  iron (Fe)

  tin (Sn)

  lead (Pb)

  ~hydrogen (H)~

  copper (Cu)

  silver (Ag)

  gold (Au)

  platinum (Pt)
• more reactive metals ... less reactive metals from its compound

  displace
• which metals are very reactive in the reactivity series?

  potassium (K)

  sodium (Na)

  lithium (Li)

  calcium (Ca)

  magnesium (Mg)

  aluminium (Al)
• which metals are fairly reactive in the reactivity series?

  zinc (Zn)

  iron (Fe)

  tin (Sn)

  lead (Pb)
• which metals are not very reactive in the reactivity series?

  copper (Cu)

  silver (Ag)

  gold (Au)

  platinum (Pt)
• Why is carbon and hydrogen included in the reactivity series?

  - carbon is included because it helps to explain what happens when it's used to extract metals

  - hydrogen, also because it's used to extract metals, is used because any metal below it won't react with dilute acid
• how are metals more reactive than carbon extracted?

  electrolysis of molten compounds
• how are metals less reactive than carbon extracted?

  from their ores by reduction with carbon
• reduction with carbon


  during a carbon reduction reaction, the metal ore loses oxygen whilst the carbon gains oxygen, forming carbon dioxide. for the metal ore to be extracted using carbon it needs to be less reactive than carbon in the reactivity series. carbon displaces less reactive metals.
• metals that are more reactive than hydrogen will...

  react with acids
• metals that are less reactive than hydrogen will...

  not react with acids
• how metals react with acids tells you about their...

  reactivity
• some metals react with acids to produce...

  a salt and hydrogen gas
• what indicates the speed of a reaction?

  the rate at which the bubbles of hydrogen are given off
• the more reactive the metal...

  the faster the reaction will go
• metals can react with...

  water
• some metals react with water to produce...

  metal hydroxide and hydrogen
• which metals react with water?

  potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium
• which metals don't react with water?

  zinc, iron, tin, lead, copper, silver, gold, platinum
• metals often have to be separated from their...

  oxides
• why aren't most metals found in earth in their pure form?

  because they tend to be fairly reactive, so they're usually found as compounds dun have to be extracted before they can be used
• metals react with oxygen to form...

  oxides, which are found in the ground
• oxides are often ores...

  that the metals need to be extracted from
• a reaction that separates a metal from its oxide is called...

  a reduction reaction
• formation of a metal ore =

  oxidation: gain of oxygen
• magnesium oxidation


  2Mg + O2 → 2MgO
• extraction of metal =

  reduction: loss of oxygen
• copper reduction


  2CuO + C → 2Cu + CO2
• how are some metals extracted by reduction using carbon?

  the ore is reduced as oxygen is removed from it, and carbon gains oxygen so is oxidised

  
  

  (2Fe2O3 + 3C → 4Fe + 3CO2)
• why can reduction using carbon only be done to metals less reactive than carbon?

  because carbon can only take the oxygen away from metals which are less react than carbon itself is
• a few metals are so unreactive that they...

  are found in the earth as the metal itself (e.g. gold is mines as its elemental form)