https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=oqMN3y8k9So

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_1uLP30uxY
 REACTIVITY
• Elements display very different levels of reactivity.
• Some elements are entirely unreactive, while other react so quickly it is
almost imposible to observe them.
• Metals vary in their reactivity in a predictable way:
• By comparing the reactivity of different metals it is possible to put them in order
in a series of reactivity

Figure 1. Magnesium is a reactive metal and so will burn in air

METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY

1. Reaction with oxygen

2. Reaction with water or steam
3. Reaction with dilute hydrochloric acid
4. Displacement reactions
5. Reaction of their oxides with carbon
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
• Reaction with oxygen
• Many metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides. Potassium and sodium
are soft metal which are easily cut exposing a shiny surface which changes to
dull rapidly. The change from shiny to dull is called tarnishing.

Potassium burns with a lilac flame when heated in air.

Potassium + oxygen ➞ potassium oxide
4K(s) + O2(g) ➞ 2K2O(s)

Magnesium reacts readily in air burning with a white light.

Magnesium + oxygen ➞ magnesium oxide
2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s)
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
• Reaction with water or steam
• Some metals are so reactive that they will react with water (alkali metals: group
IA). Other metals react vigorously with steam. The higher the temperature of
steam means that the rate of reaction may be faster.

• When a metal reacts with water a metal hydroxide and hydrogen are formed:

Sodium reacts vigorously with water.

sodium + water ➞ sodium hydroxide + hydrogen
2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) ➞ 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)

Calcium reacts readily with water.

calcium + water ➞ calcium hydroxide + hydrogen
Ca(s) + 2H2O(l) ➞ Ca(OH)2(aq) + H2(g
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
• Reaction with water or steam
• Other metals react vigorously with steam. The higher the temperature of steam
means that the rate of reaction may be faster.
• Magnesium reacts very slowly with water. However, it reacts vigorously with
steam:
magnesium + steam → magnesium oxide + hydrogen
Mg(s) + H2O(g) → MgO(s) + H2(g)

The apparatus used to react a metal with

steam and collect the gas produced is shown
below. The damp mineral wool is heated to
generate steam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oscKIyi_pY
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
• Place Copper, Potassium and Magnesium into a reactivity series based
on the methods studied and the following inforamation:
• Potassium is in Group IA
• Mangesium is in Group IIA
• Copper does not react with steam or water.
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
Reaction with dilute hydrochloric acid
• The same principle is used when reacting metals with dilute hydrochloric acid. The
more reactive metal, the greater the reaction.
• Group IA, IIA and Iron, Cadmium, cobalt, nickel, tin, zinc and lead.

Metals that react with dilute acids all react in the same way, a salt is formed, as
well as hydrogen gas:
metal + acid → salt + hydrogen
magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + hydrogen
Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) → MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)

• If there is a vigorous reaction (strong and rapid reaction which can be seen clearly),
lots of hydrogen is produced (effervescence).
• If a metal is less reactive, the reaction will be slower and little effervescence will be
osbserved.
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
• Reaction with dilute hydrochloric acid

The gas in the tube should ignite with a loud squeaky pop,
indicating the presence of hydrogen (Figure 1).
 REACTIVITY SERIES

Carbon and hydrogen are included in the

reactivity series despite not being metals
because:
•Hydrogen is there to show you the relative
reactivity of the metals.
•Carbon is there as it is used in the
extraction of some metals from their ores.
Carbon can only be used in the extraction
of metals below carbon in this
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Less Cheese Makes All Colourful
Zebras Ignore Happy Children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkUX5vhLjJ0
• In the reaction , magnesium displaces copper from one of its
compounds, copper(II) sulfate. This shows that magnesium is
more reactive than copper.

copper(II) sulfate + magnesium → magnesium sulfate + copper

CuSO4(aq) + Mg(s) → MgSO4(aq) + Cu(s)

 DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS
• Most reactive metals displace less reactive metals from their
compounds.
magnesium + copper(II) sulfate → magnesium sulfate + copper

Mg(s) + CuSO4(aq) → MgSO(aq) + Cu(s)

In this displacement reaction, magnesium

displaces copper from copper (II) sulfate solution.

The copper coats the magnesium

The solution´s blue color fades as copper (ii)
sulfate is replaced by colourless magnesium
sulfate solution
 DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS
• You can work out a reactivity series for many substances by carrying out
displacement reactions. The table shows results of reacting different
metals with different salt solutions.

State the order of reactivity of the metals and explain why?

 DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS

Magnesium is the most reactive metal from these three

as it undergoes two reactions, iron is next and copper is
the least reactive.
 METHODS TO INVESTIGATE REACTIVITY
• Reaction of their oxides with carbon