Name: Period:

Reactivity Lab
Reactivity of elements is dependent on ionization energy or electronegativity depending on if they are losing electrons
or gaining electrons.

Metals
1. What side of the periodic table are metals on?

2. Do elements on that side of the periodic table tend to want to gain electrons or lose electrons?

3. Which trend talks about losing electrons: electronegativity or ionization energy?

4. Atoms that want to lose electrons will be reactive when they have a higher ionization
energy.

Metals Going Down Groups

5. As you go down the periodic table, ionization energy . This means that metals will

be reactive as you go down the periodic table.

6. Watch the first 2 min 52 seconds of the following video which shows the reaction of alkali metals (group 1
metals) with water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6xG8ImF3Qc. (You do not need to have the volume
on.) Which alkali metal was the most reactive: lithium, sodium, or potassium?

7. Which alkali metal was the least reactive: lithium, sodium, or potassium?

8. The alkali metals become reactive as you go down the periodic table.

9. Do question number 5 and 8 agree with each other?

10. Watch the rest of the video which shows the reaction of two alkaline earth metals (group 2): calcium and
magnesium. Which alkaline earth metal was the most reactive?

11. The alkaline earth metals became reactive as you went down the periodic table.

12. Do question number 5 and 11 agree with each other?

13. Summarize your findings. What happens to the reactivity of metals as you go down the periodic table AND
why?
Metals Going Across Periods
14. As you go from left to right on the periodic table, ionization energy . This means metals

will be reactive as you go from left to right.

15. You will be doing a virtual lab to collect data on the reactivity of iron, nickel, and copper. Before you do the
virtual lab, I want you to get a sense of what this lab would look like in real life. To do this, you will be
experimenting with magnesium and copper nitrate. Tell me when you are ready for the materials. Put on
goggles. Put a small strip of magnesium into a well. Add 5 drops of copper nitrate solution. Magnesium does
react with copper nitrate. Tell me when you have observed the reaction and are done. Do not remove goggles
until you are done. What evidence did you observe that a chemical reaction occurred?

16. Go to this link to do a simulation with reactions similar to the one that you just saw:
https://teachchemistry.org/classroom-resources/metals-in-aqueous-solutions-simulation. Some of the data is
already filled out for you, some of the data you will collect by clicking on activity 2 and some of the data you will
collect by clicking on activity three. The activity that is used for each piece of data is indicated in the table.
Write “reaction” or “no reaction” for each part of the table that is not already filled out for you.

Fe(NO3)2 Pb(NO3)2 Ni(NO3)2 Sn(NO3)2 Zn(NO3)2 Cu(NO3)2

Activity 2 Activity 2 Activity 2 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 3
Iron (Fe)

Activity 2 Activity 2 Activity 2 Activity 2

Nickel (Ni) No reaction Reaction

Activity 3 Activity 3 Activity 3 Activity 3

Copper (Cu) No reaction No reaction

17. Which was the most reactive: iron, nickel, or copper?

18. Which was the least reactive: iron, nickel, or copper?

19. The metals became reactive as you went from left to right across the periodic table.

20. Do question number 14 and 19 agree with each other?

21. Summarize your findings. What happens to the reactivity of metals as you go down the periodic table AND
why?
Nonmetals
22. What side of the periodic table are nonmetals on?

23. Do elements on that side of the periodic table tend to want to gain electrons or lose electrons?

24. Which trend talks about gaining electrons: electronegativity or ionization energy?

25. Atoms that want to gain electrons will be reactive when they have a higher
electronegativity.

Nonmetals Going Down Groups

26. As you go down the periodic table,electronegativity . This means that nonmetals will

be reactive as you go down the periodic table.

27. Watch the following video which shows the reaction of halogens (group 7 metals) with aluminum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyP8zhS9c5c. (You do not need to have the volume on.) Which halogen
was the most reactive: iodine, bromine, chlorine, or fluorine?

28. Which halogen was the least reactive: iodine, bromine, chlorine, or fluorine?

29. The nonmetals became reactive as you went down the periodic table.

30. Do question number 26 and 29 agree with each other?

31. Summarize your findings. What happens to the reactivity of nonmetals as you go down the periodic table
AND why?

Nonmetals Going Across Periods

32. As you go from left to right on the periodic table, electronegativity . This means

nonmetals will be reactive as you go from left to right.