Reactivity Series of Metals

497 Words2 Pages
The Reactivity Series is a series of metals, ranking them descending due to their reactivity and arranging them from the most reactive to the least reactive. It is determined by the metal’s ability to form a positive ion. The arrangement supports the understanding of the properties of metals, that helps explain the differences between them and enables predictions to be made about metals behaviour, based on its position or properties. The reactivity of metals can be determined experimentally by observing the rate of reaction of the metals with a given acid-base indictor, such as water, oxygen and dilute acids. A metal may react with the acid-base indictor, however it might react at a different rate than some of the other metals or no reaction may occur. The more reactive the metal, the faster the reaction and the greater the rate of bubbling, however some metals are not as reactive, which in this case are normally heated in a Bunsen flame to initiate the reaction, while increasing the reaction rate. The reaction rate is highest for active metals. Unreactive metals such as copper and tin do not react; they are lifeless. Potassium, sodium and calcium are the most reactive metals with water. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the reactions of a group of metals: Sodium, Potassium, Aluminium, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Lead, Magnesium, Tin & Zinc with water, dilute hydrochloric acid and dilute sulphuric acid, in order to construct a reactivity series. The metal higher in the series acts as reducing agents and transfers one or more electrons to the other metal ions, which is lower in the series, and then become oxidised. If the solution releases bubbles and the dissolution of metal, a displacement reaction has probably taken place. The reactivity of metals is related to their

More about Reactivity Series of Metals

Open Document