Reactivity Series

• In metal displacement reactions, a more reactive metal can replace a less reactive metal from its compound.
• The reactivity series is the relative tendency of metals to displace other metals from their compounds.
• Metal atoms have a full outer shell when they are in their elemental form.
• When a metal atom loses an electron, it gains stability by having a full outer shell again.
• Reactivity increases down Group 1 (Alkali Metals) due to increasing atomic radius and decreasing metallic bond strength.
• hydrogen gas is given off if metals react with water or dilute acids
• oxidation is the loss of electrons
• reduction is the gain of electrons
• gold and some other unreactive metals can be found in their native state
• metals more reactive than carbon cannot be extracted from their ores using carbon
• metal + acid = a salt + hydrogen
• a salt is a compound formed when the hydrogen in an acid is wholly replaced by a metal ion