Reactivity series

• Reactivity series of metals

  How metals react with acids and water
• Reactivity of metals

  1. Metals form positive ions by losing outer shell electrons

  2. Most reactive metals are group 1 metals, group 2 metals are less reactive, transition metals are generally least reactive

  3. Determine reactivity by reacting metals with acids or water and observing reaction speed/violence

  4. Can also measure temperature change to compare reactivity
• Carbon and hydrogen are often included in reactivity series as references, even though they are not metals
• Reacting metals with acids

  1. Forms salt and hydrogen gas

  2. More reactive metals react more violently, producing more hydrogen
• Magnesium reacts with acids, producing bubbles as the solid metal disappears, while copper usually won't react at all
• Reacting metals with water

  1. Forms metal hydroxides and hydrogen

  2. Only the most reactive metals can do this, like lithium, while zinc, iron and copper won't react
• Displacement reactions

  More reactive metals can displace less reactive ones from solutions
• Magnesium is more reactive than iron


  Magnesium can displace iron from iron sulfate solution
• Copper is less reactive than iron


  Copper cannot displace iron from iron sulfate solution