CHEM NOTES 

 
PATTERNS OF REACTIVITY: 
Table of series of reactivity(highest to lowest)

sr.numb Metal name and symbol valency

er

1 potassium (K) 1

2 sodium(Na) 1

3 calcium(Ca) 2

4 magnesium(Mg) 2

5 Aluminum (Al) 3

6 carbon(C) 2

7 zinc(Zn) 2

8 iron(Fe) 3

9 tin(Sn) 2

10 lead(Pb) 2

11 hydrogen(H) 1

12 copper(Cu) 2

13 Mercury(Hg) 2

14 silver(Ag) 1

15 gold(Au) 1

16 Platinum(Pt) 2
●
Anecdote: paul saw Chirag metha and Ciara Zimmer in the lab heating copper, making
several gross potions
Rules of balancing and criss-cross:
Crisscross valency
You cant add numbers from the back, only the front
If you put a number in front of the whole product, it applies to both of its reactants
Brackets need to be multiplied
(s)=solid
(L)=liquid
(g)=gas
(aq)=dissolved

Test for:
Hydrogen:

A lit splint is put over the source producing hydrogen. if there is hydrogen, a popping
sound while the splint burns are produced

Carbon dioxide:
If carbon dioxide is passed through lime water, it turns the lime water milky

Reactions with water:

water+metal=metal hydroxide+hydrgoen

Reactions with cold water:

Potassium:
● reacts instantly and bursts into a lilac flame
● The metal fizzes around the surface giving off heat and producing hydrogen
instantly
● Colorless solution formed
● 2K+H2O=2KOH+H2
Sodium:
● Skids around the surface fast producing hydrogen
● Fizzers fast and then dissolves into solution
● Colorless solution formed
● 2Na+H2O=2NaOH+H2
Calcium:
● Sinks and fizzes instantly to form bubbles
 ● Floats to the surface because hydrogen bubbles stick to the surface of the metal
● making the water cloudy
● 2Ca+H2O=2CaOH+H2
Magnesium:
● Sinks in water
● Bubbles of hydrogen are produced slowly
● Hot water is more effective in magnesium reactions
● 2Mg+H2O=2MgOH+H2

Reactions with steam:

metal+steam=solid metal
oxide+hydrogen

Magnesium:
● Reacts strongly
● White light produced
● Mg+H2O=MgO+H2
Aluminum:
● 2Al+3H2O=Al2O3+3H2
Zinc:
● Zn+H2O=ZnO+H2
Iron:
● 2Fe+3H2O=Fe2O3+3H2
Tin:
● Sn+H2O=SnO+H2
Lead:
● Pb+H2O=PbO+H2

Reactions with oxygen:

metal+oxygen=metal oxide

Potassium:
 ● Burns with a lilac flame instantly and reacts vigorously
● Melts very quickly
● 4K+O2=2K2O
Sodium:
● Reacts vigorously producing a yellow flame
● Melts instantly
● 4Na+O2=2Na2O
Calcium:
● Extremely flammable
● Reacts instantly producing a bright colorful orange flame
● Ca+O=CAO
Magnesium:
● Burns with an instant bright white flame
● Mg+O=MgO
Aluminum:
● Reacts vigorously only when heated
● Produces big bright white light
● 4Al+3O2=2Al2O3
Zinc:
● Reacts to form a bright red flame steadily when heated
● Zn+O=ZnO
Iron:
● Reacts over a period of time with oxygen-producing brown iron oxide(rust)
● Fe+O=FeO

Reactions with acid:

metal+acid=salt+hydrogen

● Sulphuric acid: H2SO4

● Nitric acid: HNO3
● Hydrochloric acid: HCL
● Phosphoric acid: H3PO4

Displacement reactions:
Displacement reaction​ is a chemical ​reaction​ in which a more reactive element
displaces a less reactive element from its compound. Both metals and non-metals take
part in ​displacement reactions​. Example: ​Reaction​ of iron nails with copper sulfate
solution
RATES OF REACTIVITY: 
speed=amount of reactant used/product formed divided by time

Activation energy:
● Reactions take place when particles collide with a certain amount of energy
known as activation energy
● Minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to take place
● If energy is less than activation energy, no reaction will take place, just the
bouncing of particles
● Varies for all reactants

Dependants of reactions:
● Frequency of collisions between particles
● The energy at which particles collide
● Collison needs to be effective

The reaction of graphs:

● Steeper the slope, faster the reaction
● Reactions get slower and slower as there is less reactant to react with(because the
reactant gets used up)
● Reactions stop when all the reactant is used up
● Time is on the x-axis
● y/x=ROR

Measuring the rate of reaction:

1)measuring the amount of product formed:

Using a conical flask apparatus
The reaction travels from the flask to the tube and then the syringe, where the gas
pushes the pistol according to how much was released
A stopwatch recording how much gas was released according to how far the pistol was
pushed is kept
Then the amount of gas formed divided by the amount of time it took to develop that
amount gives you your answer

2)measuring the amount of reactant used:

On a top pan balance, measure the mass of the beaker filled with one reactant, and
separately measure the mass of the other reactant
Then with a stopwatch, measure how at a particular time the mass of the reaction
decreases
Then divide the time it took when a certain amount of reactant was used up

Increasing rate of reaction:

Temperature:
Higher the temperature, particles start heating and give off more particle energy, faster
movement, and more Collison of particles
More Collison gives more energy, therefore, a faster reaction

Concentration:
More concentration=more particles=increasing solute
If there are more particles there is more collision, therefore, more energy for a reaction

Pressure:
Only on gases
Compression of gases makes less space for particles to move, making the particles
collide with each other more frequently

Surface area:
More area to react with=more chances of collision
More surface area allows the other reactant to react with it properly and individually

PREPARATION OF SALTS:

acid+base=salt+water
acid+metal=salt and hydrogen
acid+carbonate=salt+carbon dioxide+water

Types of acids:
● Hydrochloric acid: HCL
● Nitric acid: HNO3
● Sulphuric acid: H2SO4

Types of carbonates:
● Calcium carbonate: CaCO3
 ● Iron carbonate: FeCO3

Making a salt:
● Adding excess metal to acid to make sure all of the acid is used up
● Filtering the salt solution to remove excess metal that is stored for later use
● Heating the solution till crystallization point
● Cooling the solution and letting crystals form
● Filter once again and pat dry