Robert

Longo
February 17, 2016
The Activity Series Pennies and Nails

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to test whether or not a reaction will
take place between the copper acetate in the vinegar solution from the pennies and
the iron nail, while deepening understanding of the activity series and how it can be
used to predict a reaction.

Results: After I allowed the pennies to sit in the vinegar and salt solution for some
time in order to dissolve the copper oxide off the surface, I added the nail into the
bowl and allowed it to sit for some time. I definitely noticed that a reaction took
place, as the copper that was in the vinegar seems to accumulate on the surface of
the nail, turning it a deep orange-red color. It seems I was not able to scrape off all of
the galvanization from the surface of the nail, as the reaction occurred very strong
on some parts of the nails surface, and not at all on others. The reaction that seemed
to occur was Fe + Cu(CH3COO)2 - Fe(C2H3O2)2 + Cu. This confirmed that iron
is more reactive than copper, as it was able to displace the copper in the copper
acetate found in the vinegar.

What I Learned: This experiment was really able to give me a much stronger
understanding of the activity series and its role in predicting whether or not a
reaction would occur. If the experiment was reversed by dissolving iron oxide in
vinegar and salt to form iron acetate and placing copper in the solution, a reaction
would not occur because copper is less reactive than iron and would not be able to
separate the iron from the acidic acid it formed a compound with. This experiment
also allowed to a deeper understanding of oxidation and reaction with each metals
reacting, with the acetic acid solution. The copper went through a reduction when it
gained electrons by joining to the surface of the nail and the opposite happened with
the iron, as it was oxidized when it joined with the acetic acid molecule in the
solution.

Why this was a good experiment; While reading about the chemistry that occurs
surrounding the activity series and its value in predicting whether a reaction will
take place and about oxidation and reduction, it is much more useful to see it in
action. This experiment is very useful in providing a small-scale example of a
reaction that takes place in large scales to create pure metals.