reactivity series

• Metals can be arranged in a reactivity series based on their reactions with water, dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.
• A few reactive metals will react with cold water, producing a metal hydroxide (forming an alkaline solution) and hydrogen gas.
• Sacrificial protection involves galvanising the metal you want to be protected from rusting with a more reactive metal, which will rust first and prevent water and oxygen reaching the layer underneath.
• Painting, coating, using plastic, and storing in a desiccant can keep water away.
• Zinc is used to galvanise iron.
• Oxygen can be kept away by storing the metal in a vacuum container.
• Examples of metals that react with cold water include potassium, which forms potassium hydroxide and hydrogen gas when reacted with water.
• Most metals react with acid, producing a salt and hydrogen gas.
• Almost all metals react with oxygen, forming a metal oxide.
• The only metal that does not react with water, dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, and oxygen is gold, because it is extremely unreactive.
• The relative reactivity of some metals can be deduced by seeing if they react with water.
• A salt of the less reactive metal is easily seen when in the solution.
• Hydrogen and carbon are often included in the reactivity series.
• One metal can be more reactive than another by using displacement reactions.
• The less reactive metal coats the surface of the more reactive metal.
• A more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from a compound, similar to halogens.
• Metals can be arranged in a reactivity series based on their displacement reactions between metals and metal oxides, metals and aqueous solutions of metal salts.
• Potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc, iron, copper, silver, gold can be put in order of their reactivity from their reactions with water and dilute acids.
• The more reactive metal gradually disappears as it forms a solution.