GRAND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

STAGE 9 Science (0862)

Chemistry

5: REACTIVITY
Topics:
1. Reactivity and displacement reactions.
2. Using the reactivity series and displacement
reactions.
3. Salts.
4. Other ways of making salts.
5. Rearranging atoms.
Topic 5.1: Reactivity and displacement
reactions
Learning objectives:
1. Use reactivity series of metals to predict which metals
displace others from solutions of salts.
2. Carry out displacement reactions.
Getting started

Discuss with a partner how you can tell if a chemical

reaction has taken place. Share your ideas with another
pair. Be prepared to share your ideas with the class.
Reactivity Series
o some metals are more reactive than other metals.
o this can be shown by reactions with oxygen, water
(steam) and dilute acid.
o When the metals are placed in order according to
reactivity, it is called the reactivity series.
o most reactive metal on top, least reactive metal at the
bottom.
o Quiz: What is the meaning of reactivity series?
a list of metals in order of how reactive they are, with the
most reactive at the top and least reactive at the bottom.
Feedback

o colour changes,
o new products such as gases being
formed,
o changes in pH when chemical reactions
take place.
o Examples: reactions of Group 1 metals
with water, burning magnesium ribbon or
neutralization reactions.
Potassium
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Alminium
Zinc
Iron
Hydrogen
Copper
Silver
Gold
Reactions with water: Group I metals
o group I (alkali metals) react spontaneously with
water to produce hydrogen gas and metal
hydroxide.
o reactions are exothermic.
o reactivity increases going down the group.
o if water is dripped in a small sample of Group I
metal, the heat produced ignites hydrogen gas.
o for sodium, the flame colour is yellow.
Summary of reaction of Group I metals
Group II
o group II (Earth alkaline metals), similar trends in
reactivity to Group I, but less reactive.
o reactivity increases going the down the group.
o Magnesium reacts very slowly in cold water,
bubbles of hydrogen form slowly on Mg ribbon.
o stronger reaction if steam is passed over heated
magnesium.
o Magnesium glows brightly to form hydrogen and
magnesium oxide.
o Calcium strongly reacts with cold water giving
off hydrogen rapidly.

o white suspension of calcium hydroxide formed.

Transition Elements
o transition elements such as zinc (Zn) and iron
(Fe) reacts with steam in similar way with
magnesium (Mg).
o copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au) no reaction
with water or steam.
o order of reactivity:
Reactions with dilute acids
o group I (alkali metals) and calcium are too
reactive to safely add even to dilute acids.
o they do produce hydrogen but too vigorously.
o A metal reacts with an acid to produce salt and
hydrogen.
o metal + acid salt + hydrogen.
o order of reactivity:
Summary of reactions of metals in reactivity series
Homework

o Cambridge Lower Secondary Science Learner’s

Book 9 page 171 (Questions 1 – 5).

Group Work
o Cambridge Lower Secondary Science Learner’s
Book 9 page 171 (Activity 5.1.1).
Displacement reactions
o displacement reactions place metals more precisely in
the reactivity series.
o reaction used to compare directly reactivity of two
metals.
o more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal
from solution of salts of the less reactive metal.
o Examples:
1. Reaction of Iron with copper sulfate solution
Placing a clean iron nail in a beaker containing copper
sulfate results in blue copper sulfate solution changing to
a pale colour.
Iron nail becomes coated with copper colour.
o the word and chemical equations for the reaction are
as follows:

o iron is more reactive than copper that it has displaced

from copper sulfate and has reacted to form iron
sulfate.
o no reaction if copper nail is placed in solution of iron
sulfate (copper less reactive than iron, cannot displace
iron).
2. Reaction of Zinc with Copper (II) Sulfate solution.
o If a piece of Zinc is left to stand in a solution of copper
(II) sulfate solution, the following reactions happen:

Observation: Zinc metal becomes coated with a red-

brown layer of copper. The blue colour of solution fades.
Solution become colourless zinc sulfate.
Zinc displaces copper from solution because it is more
reactive than copper.
Class Exercise

o Cambridge Lower Secondary Science Learner’s

Book 9 page 172 (Questions 6 – 9).

Practical Work: Displacing metals

o Cambridge Lower Secondary Science Learner’s
Book 9 page 173.
Topic 5.2: Using the reactivity series and
displacement reactions

Learning Objectives:
o using displacement reactions to identify
unknown metals.
o practical examples of displacement
reactions.
Using displacement reactions in industry
o Aluminium (Al) is above zinc (Zn) and below
magnesium in the reactivity series.
o Aluminium displaces iron from solid iron oxide
when it is heated.
aluminium + iron oxide aluminium oxide + iron
o exothermic reaction (releases a lot of energy).
o high temperatures produce iron in melting state.
o melting point of iron is 1535 oC.
Applications:
Construction of railway lines
o reaction called thermite reaction.
o used to weld railway rails together.
o rails welded in situ where there is no movement
(on site).
o iron oxide and aluminium powder reacts in
container placed on rails.
o molten iron produced is shaped and used to join
rails together.
o thermite reaction take place when iron oxide
and aluminium mixture are ignited using another
exothermic reaction between magnesium
powder and barium nitrate.
o reaction provides energy to start displacement
reaction between aluminium and iron oxide.
Displacement using Carbon
o Carbon (C) not a metal, but can displace some
metals from their compounds.
o Carbon displaces zinc, iron, tin, lead from ores.
o Ore: naturally occurring mineral or rock from
which a metal compound can be extracted.
o Blast furnace is an industrial large scale
process used to extract iron from its ore
Production of iron in the blast furnace
o blast furnace is a steel tower, 30m high.
o lined with refractory heat resistant bricks of
magnesium oxide cooled by water.
o raw materials loaded into the furnace are:
(a) iron ore.
(b) coke (form of carbon made from coal).
(c) limestone (calcium carbonate).
o iron ore is mainly iron oxide or hematite .
o contains more than 60% iron.
o Ore: naturally occurring mineral or rock from
which a metal compound can be extracted.
o carbon displaces zinc, iron, tin, lead from ores
o blasts of hot air are sent to furnace through
holes near bottom of furnace.
o chemical reactions takes place as follows:
- iron oxide reacts with C to form Fe and CO2.
- Iron ore heated with charcoal (carbon) at high
temperatures to produce molten iron.
o Equations for the reaction are:
Iron (II) oxide + carbon iron + carbon
dioxide
Class Exercise

o Cambridge Lower Secondary Science Learner’s

Book 9 page 177 (Questions 1 – 3).

Practical Work
o Cambridge Lower Secondary Science Learner’s
Book 9 page 178
o Think like a Scientist: Extracting metals using
carbon.
Topic 5.3: Salts
Learning Objectives:
o define a salt.
o examples of salts and uses.
o preparing salt by reacting metal and acid.
o preparing salt by heating metal oxide with
acid.
Getting Started
1. Write word equations for three
displacement reactions.
2. Write word equations for two displacement
reactions that cannot happen.
What is a salt?
o compound formed when metal reacts with acid.
o metal displaces hydrogen in the acid.
o Write down any five examples of salts.

1. sodium chloride (NaCl).

2. copper sulfate (CuSO4).
3. silver nitrate (AgNO3).
4. calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
5. magnesium chloride (MgCl2)
Salts and their uses
Name formular Use
1. salt to preserve
food.
2. salt to flavour food
Sodium
NaCl
chloride

used by athletes, e.g.

Gymnasts to keep their
hands dry so that they
Magnesium do not slip
MgCO3
Carbonate
Name formular Use

used to make
Calcium
CaSO4 blackboard chalk
Sulfate

added to dyes to help

Aluminium them stick to fibres
Al2(SO4)3
Sulfate
Name formular Use

used for coating

agricultural seeds to
prevent attack by
Copper termites and growth of
CuSO4
Sulfate fungi when the seeds
are planted.

used as a fertilizer to
help plants grow well.
Ammonium
NH4NO3
Nitrate
Acids and salts
o an acid is a substance that dissolves in water to
produce a solution that:
- turns blue litmus paper red.
- has a pH lower than 7. +
- contains an excess of H ions.
o a chemical substance, usually liquid, which
contains hydrogen and can react with other
substances to form salts.
Sources of acids
o vinegar, lemon/grapefruit juice, spoilt milk
are sour tasting because of acids present.
o present in animal/plant material (organic acids).
Properties of acids

1. corrosive and sour in taste.

2. they have a pH less than 7.
3. good conductors of electricity.
4. reacts with some metals to produce hydrogen.
5. reacts with bases to form salts
+ and water.
6. reacts with carbonates to form salts, water and
carbon dioxide.
7. changes colour of indicators e.g litmus paper.
8. increase rate of certain reactions by acting as
catalysts.
Common acids and their salts

Acids
o sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
o nitric acid (HNO3).
o dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl).
+

o carbonic acid (H2CO3)

o citric acid (C6H8O7)
o ethanoic acid –vinegar (CH3CH2OH)
Salts
o sulfuric acid reacts with metals/metal oxides to form
2-
salts called sulfates (SO4)
o nitric acid reacts with metals/metal oxides to form salts
-
called nitrates (NO3)
o hydrochloric acid reacts with metals/metal
- oxides to
form salts called chlorides (Cl -)
o carbonic acid: weak acid formed
- when carbon dioxide
reacts with water. The acid reacts with metals/metal
2-
oxides to from salts called carbonates (CO 3)
o citric acid: weak acid found in fruits e.g lemon/orange.
Salts formed are called citrates