reactivity series

• reaction of metal with water or steam will form metal hydroxide (alkali) and hydrogen gas
• reaction of metal with acid will form salt and hydrogen gas
• • heated metal oxides are not reduced by carbon and hydrogen
  • the above condition only applies to metals from potassium to leadi
  • the more reactive a metal is, the more difficult it is to reduce its oxide to the metal by carbon and hydrogen
• all metals can be extracted by electrolysis but reduction by carbon is cheaper