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IGCSE Chemistry: 10.5.1 Patterns of Reactivity
IGCSE Chemistry: 10.5.1 Patterns of Reactivity
10.5.1 Patterns of
Reactivity
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Contents
9F Patterns of Reactivity
Summary activities
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Metals and water
The Romans used lead to make water pipes but didn’t know
that lead reacts slowly with water and makes it poisonous!
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Metals and water – observations
James investigated how reactive some metals are when
they react with water and made these observations.
Metal Reaction with water
lithium Bubbles of gas are given off quite
quickly. When tested with universal
indicator the water is now alkaline.
sodium The sodium melts and skims over the
surface producing a stream of small
bubbles. Sometimes a yellow-orange
flame appeared.
potassium Potassium immediately produces a lilac
flame as it skims around the surface
making a fizzing noise.
Which of these metals is the most reactive with water?
Which of these metals is the least reactive with water?
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Metals and water – more observations
James investigated how reactive other metals are with water
and made these observations.
Metal Reaction with water
magnesium Reacts slowly with cold water
but reacts quickly with steam.
copper No reaction.
silver No reaction.
gold No reaction.
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Metals and water – using unreactive metals
The words “plumber” and
“plumbing” come from
plumbum (the Latin word
for lead) because the
ancient Romans used lead
for their water pipes.
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Metals and water – order of reactivity
Put the following metals in order of reactivity based on their
reaction with water, starting with the most reactive:
copper, gold, magnesium, lithium, potassium, silver, sodium.
potassium
sodium
lithium
magnesium
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Contents
Summary activities
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Metals and oxygen – equations
What are the products when each metal reacts with oxygen?
What is the balanced symbol equation for each reaction?
2Mg + O2 2MgO
2Cu + O2 2CuO
magnesium
iron
copper
Summary activities
Acid was used to find out if gold objects were made of real or
fake gold. Most metals react with strong acids. Gold is such
an unreactive metal that it does not react with strong acids.
When a metal reacts with acid, the products are a metal salt
and hydrogen. What is the general equation for the reaction
of a metal with acid?
How does the type of acid affect the type of salt produced?
Zn + 2HNO3 Zn(NO3)2 + H2
calcium
magnesium
aluminium
zinc
iron
lead
copper
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Metals and acid – reactivity activity
Summary activities
potassium Please
sodium send
increasing reactivity
calcium Charlie’s
magnesium monkeys
aluminium and
zinc zebras
iron in
lead lead
copper cages
silver securely
gold guarded!
increasing reactivity
metals with oxygen, water calcium
and acids. magnesium
aluminium
zinc
Predictions can also be
iron
made about more complex
lead
reactions where one metal
copper
is competing with another. silver
gold
magnesium + copper
sulfate
magnesium +
sulfate
copper
Mg + CuSO4 MgSO4 + Cu
magnesium + zinc
sulfate
magnesium +
sulfate
zinc
Mg + ZnSO4 MgSO4 + Zn
magnesium + iron
sulfate
magnesium +
sulfate
iron
Mg + FeSO4 MgSO4 + Fe
zinc + iron
sulfate
zinc
sulfate
+ iron
Zn + FeSO4 ZnSO4 + Fe
zinc + copper
sulfate
zinc
sulfate
+ copper
Zn + CuSO4 ZnSO4 + Cu
iron + zinc
sulfate
no reaction
iron + copper
sulfate
iron
sulfate
+ copper
Fe + CuSO4 FeSO4 + Cu
copper + zinc
sulfate
no reaction
copper + copper
sulfate
no reaction
zinc + copper
oxide
zinc oxide + copper
Zn + CuO ZnO Cu
zinc + iron
oxide
zinc oxide + iron
iron + zinc
oxide
no reaction
iron + copper iron oxide + copper
oxide
2Fe + 3CuO Fe2O3 + 3Cu
Iron is less reactive than zinc but more reactive than copper.
copper + zinc
oxide
no reaction
copper + iron
oxide
no reaction
Copper is less reactive than zinc and iron and will not
displace either of these metals.
Reactants Reaction?
iron oxide magnesium
potassium
sodium
copper
sulfate
zinc
calcium
magnesium
potassium hydrochloric aluminium
acid
zinc
gold iron
chloride iron
lead
calcium sodium
chloride copper
silver
calcium oxygen
gold
Summary activities