WORKSHEET ON THE REACTIVITY SERIES

Answers

1) Answer the following questions.

a) Why does gold occur native (uncombined) whereas zinc
does not?
Gold is an unreactive (inert) metal which is not readily
combined with other elements and will not oxidise.
Unlike Zinc which is a more reactive metal and can
easily react with other elements and oxidise to Zinc
Oxide.
b) Why was silver used to make coins in the past?

Silver is a rare metal, making it valuable to make coins;

relatively not reactive
c) Why is copper used to make electrical cables and wires?

Copper is abundant in nature and a very good conductor of

electricity – copper is very ductile (turns into wirre form)
d) Why does titanium commonly used for making space
vehicles?
Titanium has many special characteristics as a durable
metal with high melting point, high strength.

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2) The following metals are listed in order of reactivity (most
reactive first)
sodium > magnesium > zinc > copper
a) Describe what each metal does when
(i) Reacts with water Sodium only – making
sodium hydroxide, and Hydrogen gas
(ii) heated in air Sodim and Magnesium burn
easily in air
(iii) added to dilute hydrochloric acid except
copper, others react
b) Which of the four metals would be suitable for making
saucepans? Explain why the others are not.
Copper as it is a durable, unreactive metal to water and
acids, good conductor of heat – suitable to make saucepans.
The others are too reactive especially sodium and
magnesium. Sodium will react in air or with water.
Magnesium will react with acid.
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3) Describe what you would see if you dropped a piece of
magnesium ribbon into some copper sulphate solution in a
test tube. Write a word equation and a chemical
equationion for the reaction.
Since Magnesium is a more reactive metal than copper, it will
displace the copper in the copper sulphate, forming
magnesium sulphate the copper metal.
Magnesium + Copper Sulphate ------------ > Magnesium
Sulphate + Copper

Mg(s) + CuSO4(aq) ----- > MgSO4(aq) + Cu(s)

​ ​(
5)

4) Complete the following word equations and then a chemical

equation for each reaction.

a) zinc + lead nitrate solution ------ >

zinc nitrate + lead
b) iron + zinc sulphate solution ------
> no reaction
as Iron is lower than zinc in the
metal reactivity series; being a
weaker metal can’t displace the
stronger zinc from zinc suplphate.
c) lead + copper nitrate solution ------
> lead nitrate + copper
d) magnesium + zinc chloride solution
------ > magnesium chloride + zinc
e) copper + sodium chloride solution ------ > no reaction
f) zinc + iron sulphate solution ------ > zinc sulphate +
iron
g) gold + silver nitrate solution ------ > no reaction
h) calcium + magnesium nitrate solution ------ > calcium
nitrate + magnesiun
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5) Three metals X, Y and Z have the following reactions:-

Y will displace X from a solution of its salt.
Z will displace both X and Y from solutions of their salts.
Place the three metals in order of reactivity, starting with
the least reactive.
Least reactive X, then Y and Z (Most reactive)
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6) Here is a list of metals in order of decreasing reactivity. Q
and R are mystery metals.
K > Q > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > R > Fe > Cu
a) Will Q react with cold water? ​Yes
b) Will R react with cold water? ​No
c) Will R react with dilute hydrochloric acid? ​Yes
d) Will R displace copper from copper sulphate
solution? ​Yes
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7) (i) Explain why the reactivity of metal is increasing down a
group.
Li à Na à K (more reactive) as Li is the smallest atom, the
protons tend to have more attractions towards the outermost
electrons, compared to K, larger atom and more shells of
electrons, the protons have less attraction towards the
outermost electron, this electron can tend to leave the atom
easier, making K more reactive.
(ii) Explain why Sodium is more reactive than Magnesium
and Aluminium. ​
Sodium has only 1 outermost or valency electron, compared
to 2 in Magnesium and 3 in Aluminium. It is easier for an
atom to lose one electron than 2 or more, so Sodium is more
reactive.
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