Metals and Water!

Learning Objective: How do metals react with water?

Name the substances Compare the reactions of Describe an oxidation

formed when metals different metals with reaction with a word
react with oxygen. oxygen. equation.

C Keywords:
• reactivity
A
series
B • hydroxide
• oxide
 RECALL: Write word equations for the
following reactions
1. Magnesium reacting with hydrochloric acid
magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + hydrogen
2. Zinc reacting with sulfuric acid
CHALLENGE: - write
Zinc + sulfuric acid → zinc sulfate + hydrogen
balanced formula equations
3. Iron reacting with nitric acid for reaction 4. and 5.
Iron + nitric acid → Iron nitrate + hydrogen 2Zn(s) +O2(g) → 2ZnO(s)
4. Zinc reacting with oxygen 2Cu(s) +O2(g) → 2CuO(s)
zinc + oxygen → zinc oxide
5. Copper reacting with oxygen copper + oxygen → copper oxide
 RECAP: How do reactions with acids and oxygen compare?

metal + acid → salt + hydrogen

metal + oxygen → metal oxide

Metal Reaction with dilute acid Reaction with oxygen

Magnesium reacts very vigorously burns vigorously
Zinc reacts steadily burns less vigorously
Iron reacts steadily burns
Lead reacts slowly do not burn; when heated, form layer
of oxide on surface
Copper no reaction do not burn; when heated, form layer
of oxide on surface
 What do following metals have in common?

Gold jewellery

Copper water pipes

Stainless
steel taps
 DEMO: How do metals react with water?
The group 1 metals react vigorously with water. You are going to
observe how lithium, sodium and potassium react with water. Complete Prompts:
the results table below, describing your observations during and
Hard / soft?
throughout the demo. Use the prompts opposite for support.
Surface of metal?
Metal Observations Float / sink?
Density?
Lithium Reaction with
water?
Indicator colour?
Sodium Product formed?

CHALLENGE: do
Potassium
you recognise any
trends/patterns in
https://youtu.be/6ZY6d6jrq-0?si=Nm405PFtv_L9hC3A the properties?
 DEMO: How do metals react with water
Metal Observations
Hard to cut, shiny and tarnishes slowly, Prompts:
Hard / soft?
floats on the surface
Lithium Surface of metal?
Fizzes/bubbles, slow reaction Float / sink?
Indicator turns purple. Density?
Easier to cut than lithium, shiny and Reaction with
tarnishes more quickly, floats on the surface water?
Sodium More vigorous reaction than lithium Indicator colour?
Hydrogen gas may be observed Product formed?
Indicator turns purple.
Very easy to cut, shiny and tarnishes fast, CHALLENGE: do
you recognise any
floats on the surface
trends/patterns in
Violent reaction with water, bursts into the properties?
Potassium
purple flame
 How do metals react with water?
Potassium, sodium, lithium and calcium all react very fast when placed in water.
The products of the reaction are a metal hydroxide (which is alkaline) and
hydrogen gas.(purple indicator)

The word equation for metal reacting with water is:

METAL + WATER → METAL HYDROXIDE + HYDROGEN
Q – Write the word equation for the reaction of calcium with water.
calcium + water → calcium hydroxide + hydrogen

Calcium bubbles vigorously,

then seems to disappear.
The bubbles are hydrogen
gas.
 How do metals react with water?
The group 1 metals react vigorously with water. There is a purple flame when
potassium reacts with water. Sodium and lithium react slightly less vigorously.
The word equation for potassium reacting with water is:

potassium + water → potassium hydroxide + hydrogen

2K(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2KOH(aq) + H2(g)

Symbol Meaning
(s) solid CHALLENGE: Write a
balanced equation for the
(l) liquid
reaction of sodium (Na)
(g) gas with water. The products
(aq) aqueous (dissolved in water) are sodium hydroxide
(NaOH) and hydrogen.
 When alkali metals react with water they form a metal hydroxide
and release hydrogen gas
metal + water  metal hydroxide + hydrogen
Task:
Complete the table below.

CHALLENGE: Write a balanced symbol equation.

Metal Description of reaction with water Word equation Balanced formula

equation

A: Bubbles fiercely on the surface

B: Melts into a ball and fizzes about

the surface
C: Bursts into flames and flies about
the surface
 SELF ASSESS

Metal Description of Word equation Balanced formula equation

reaction with water

A: Lithium Bubbles fiercely on Lithium + water 

the surface Lithium hydroxide + 2Li(s) + 2H2O(l)  2LiOH(aq) + H2 (g)
hydrogen
B: Sodium Melts into a ball and Sodium + water 
fizzes about the Sodium hydroxide + 2Na(s) + 2H2O(l)  2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)
surface hydrogen

C: Potassium Bursts into flames and Potassium + water 

flies about the surface Potassium hydroxide + 2K(s) + 2H2O(l)  2KOH(aq) + H2(g)
hydrogen
 How do metals react with steam?
Magnesium reacts slowly with cold water. But it reacts quickly with steam. Zinc
and iron also react with steam. Copper and gold are unreactive. They do not react
with cold water or steam.
magnesium + water → magnesium oxide + hydrogen
Mg(s) + H2O(g) → MgO(s) + H2(g)

Q – Name two metals that react with steam

but not cold water.

CHALLENGE: Why is magnesium oxide

formed instead of magnesium hydroxide?
REACTIVITY SERIES
• The patterns of metal reactions with
acids, oxygen, and water are similar.
• The reactivity series describes
these patterns.
• It lists the metals in order of how
vigorously they react.
• The metals at the top have very
vigorous reactions.
• Going down the list, the metals get
less reactive.
 EXTENDED QUESTIONS
Use the information in the table to describe the trend/pattern of metal
reactivity with water and compare it their reaction with acids.
CHALLENGE What is the word equation for potassium and water?
TASK 1 Potassium + Water  Potassium Hydroxide + Hydrogen

What is the symbol equation for potassium and water?

K + H20  KOH + H2

Is it balanced?

2K + 2H20  2KOH + H2

Can you add state symbols?

2K(s) + 2H20 (l)  2KOH(aq) + H2(g)

CHALLENGE TASK 2

Can you write out the balanced symbol equations for

the following metals.

EXAMPLE: 2K(s) + 2H20 (l)  2KOH(aq) + H2(g)

1. Lithium (Li) 2Li(s) + 2H20 (l)  2LiOH(aq) + H2(g)

2. Sodium (Na) 2Na(s) + 2H20 (l)  2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)

3. Caesium (Cs) 2Cs(s) + 2H20 (l)  2CsOH(aq) + H2(g)

 EXIT TICKET
1. Complete the following word equations:
A. calcium + water → calcium hydroxide + hydrogen
B. potassium + water →potassium hydroxide + hydrogen
C. magnesium + water (steam) → magnesium oxide + hydrogen

2. Describe what is meant by the reactivity series.

The reactivity series lists the metals in order of how readily they react with
other substances.
CHALLENGE: Complete the following balanced symbol equations:
2K(s) + 2H2O(l) →2KOH(aq) + H2(g)
Mg(s) + H2O(g) → MgO(s) + H2(g)