Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

Suggested answers to in-text activities and unit-end exercises

Topic 3 Unit 11

Practice
P11.1 (page 36)
a) X > Z > Y > W
b) i) Z
ii) W
c) i) Purple / blue
XOH dissolves in water, forming an alkaline solution.
ii) Electrolysis of molten ore

P11.2 (page 40)

a) Potassium and sodium
b) Copper and rhodium
c) Any one of the following:
• Allow the metals to react with dilute hydrochloric acid / steam separately.
The reaction is faster / gives more bubbles / takes a shorter time with manganese.
• Burn both metals in air separately.
Only manganese burns; copper does not.

P11.3 (page 45)

1 a) 2Ca(s) + O2(g) 2CaO(s)
b) 2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)
c) 3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g)
d) Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)
2 a) (NH4)2 Cr2O7(s) Cr2O3(s) + N2(g) + 4H2O(l)
b) 2Ag2O(s) 4Ag(s) + O2(g)

P11.4 (page 49)

1 There will be holes in the iron vessel after several days.
Iron is more reactive than copper. It will react with copper(II) sulphate solution to form iron(II)
sulphate solution and copper. Thus, there will be copper deposits.
CuSO4(aq) + Fe(s) FeSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
2 a) magnesium > tin > silver
b) Adding magnesium to solution of cobalt compound / adding cobalt to solution of
magnesium compound
c) i) Sn(s) + 2AgNO3(aq) Sn(NO3)2(aq) + 2Ag(s)
ii) Mg(s) + Sn(NO3)2(aq) Mg(NO3)2(aq) + Sn(s)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

P11.5 (page 51)

1 a) Zn(s) + 2H+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + H2(g)
b) Fe(s) + Cu2+(aq) Fe2+(aq) + Cu(s)

2 a) 3Mg(s) + Al2(SO4)3(aq) 3MgSO4(aq) + 2Al(s)

b) 3Mg(s) + 2Al (aq)
3+
3Mg2+(aq) + 2Al(s)

P11.6 (page 55)

a) Magnesium is more reactive than lead. /
Magnesium forms compounds more readily than lead does. /
Magnesium loses electrons more readily than lead does.
b) Lead and magnesium oxide
c) Mg(s) + PbO(s) MgO(s) + Pb(s)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

Unit Exercise (pages 60−70)

1 a) paraffin oil
b) gold / silver / platinum
c) sodium hydroxide / hydrogen
d) sodium hydroxide / hydrogen
e) iron(II, III) oxide / hydrogen
f) iron(II, III) oxide / hydrogen
g) iron(II) chloride / hydrogen
h) iron(II) chloride / hydrogen

2 C

3 C

4 A

5 D

6 D Z is a reactive metal as it gives colourless gas bubbles with water.

X is more reactive than tin.
Y is less reactive than tin.

7 D W is a reactive metal as it is difficult to extract from its ores.

Electrolysis is required for the extraction.
X is more reactive than iron as it can displace iron from FeSO4(aq).
Y gives hydrogen gas with dilute HCl(aq).Hence it is probably more reactive than copper.
Heating the oxide of Z gives metal Z. Z is probably a metal low in the reactivity series,
such as mercury or silver.

8 A

9 A The more reactive a metal is, the more difficult it is to extract it from its ore.
X is a reactive metal as it is difficult to extract from its oxide.
Electrolysis of the molten oxide is required.
Z is the least reactive as it occurs in the free state.

10 C NO reaction occurs in the following cases:

• copper and potassium oxide;
• iron and calcium oxide;
• zinc and sodium oxide.

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

11 C Zinc reacts with acids and can be extracted from its oxide by heating with carbon. Thus,
titanium is probably more reactive than zinc.

12 C

13 D

14 B (1) Copper does not react with acids.

(3) Lead(II) sulphate is insoluble in water.

15 D (1) Zn does not react with cold water. Q is less reactive than Zn and thus also does not
react with water.

16 A (3) Passing steam over hot iron gives hydrogen, NOT oxygen.

17 a) Gold and silver are unreactive. (1)

They do not react with substances in the environment and hence appear shiny. (1)
b) To stop sodium from reacting with oxygen / water vapour / moisture in air. (1)
c) The more reactive a metal is, the more difficult it is to be extracted from its ore. (1)
Iron is more difficult to extract than copper and tin as it is more reactive than copper and
tin. (1)
Thus, iron was discovered later than copper and tin.

18 a) i) By roasting / heating the ore strongly in the presence of excess air (1)
ii) 2ZnS(s) + 3O2(g) 2ZnO(s) + 2SO2(g) (1)
b) i) Coke reacts with carbon dioxide / oxygen. (1)
C(s) + CO2(g) 2CO(g) or 2C(s) + O2(g) 2CO(g) (1)
ii) ZnO(s) + CO(g) Zn(s) + CO2(g) (1)
iii) Removal of oxygen (1)

19 a) X will react with cold water. (1)

b) Y will NOT react with cold water. (1)
c) Y will react with dilute hydrochloric acid. (1)

20 a) Copper (1)
b) i) Any two of the following:
• Melts to form a silvery ball (1)
• Fizzes quickly on the water surface (1)
• The hydrogen gas catches fire and burns with a golden yellow flame (1)
ii) 2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g) (1)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

c) i) Magnesium dissolves in the acid. (1)

Gas bubbles are given off. (1)
ii) Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2(g) (1)

21 a)
Metal Observation
Copper no reaction (1)
Magnesium very fast reaction (1)
Zinc moderately fast reaction
b) i) Hydrogen
(1)
ii)

iii) Zn(s) + H2O(g) ZnO(s) + H2(g) (1)

c) Any one of the following:
• Potassium is too reactive. (1)
• Potassium will react to explode. (1)
• Potassium reacts too vigorously. (1)
• The boiling tube / test tube will break. (1)

22 a) Any one of the following:

• They did not know electrolysis. (1)
• They did not know the use of electricity. (1)
• Aluminium is so reactive that its oxide cannot be reduced by the technology
available in the ancient times (e.g. heating). (1)
b) Gas bubbles are given off. (1)
Uranium dissolves in the acid. (1)

23 a) i) Zinc oxide (1)

ii) Hydrogen
(1)
iii) Zn(s) + H2O(g) ZnO(s) + H2(g) (1)
b) i) Zinc chloride (1)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

ii) Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ZnCl2(g) + H2(g) (1)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

24 a) The metal formed can conduct electricity. (1)

b) Magnesium is a reactive metal. (1)
Its oxide is quite stable. Carbon cannot extract magnesium from magnesium oxide.
c) i) Fe2O3(s) + 2Al(s) Fe(s) + Al2O3(s) (1)
ii) Aluminium is much more expensive than iron. (1)

25 a) i) Magnesium dissolves. (1)

The blue solution turns colourless. (1)
A pink solid deposit appears. (1)
ii) Mg(s) + Cu (aq)
2+
Mg (aq) + Cu(s)
2+
(1)
b) NO observable change
Magnesium is less reactive than sodium. Thus, magnesium cannot displace sodium from
the solution. (1)
c) Order of reactivity: sodium > magnesium > copper (1)
Magnesium cannot displace sodium from sodium sulphate solution, i.e. sodium is more
reactive than magnesium.
Magnesium can displace copper from copper(II) sulphate solution, i.e. magnesium is
more reactive than copper.

26 a) i) A displacement reaction occurs. (1)

Silver and iron(II) nitrate are formed. (1)
Iron is more reactive than silver. (1)
ii) Fe(s) + 2Ag+(aq) Fe2+(aq) + 2Ag(s) (1)
b) (1)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

27 a) sodium / magnesium / aluminium (1)

b) i) copper / silver (1)
ii) Zn(s) + Cu (aq)
2+
Zn (aq) + Cu(s)
2+
(1)
or
Zn(s) + 2Ag+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Ag(s) (1)
c) During a reaction, a sodium atom loses one electron to form a sodium ion, a magnesium
atom loses two electrons to form a magnesium ion, and an aluminium atom loses three
electrons to form an aluminium ion. (1)
Losing one electron is easier than losing two or three electrons as less energy is required.
(1)
Hence sodium is more reactive than magnesium and aluminium.

28 a)
Metal
Copper Magnesium Tin Zinc
Solution of metal sulphate

Copper(II) sulphate — reaction reaction reaction

Maganese(II) sulphate no reaction — no reaction no reaction
Tin(II) sulphate no reaction reaction —

Zinc sulphate no reaction reaction no reaction —

(4)
b) Mn(s) + Cu (aq)
2+
Mn (aq) + Cu(s)
2+
(1)
Displacement reaction (1)
c) Aluminium is covered with an oxide layer, making the metal unreactive. (1)

29 a)

(1)
b) Positive electrode — oxygen (1)
Negative electrode — aluminium (1)

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Topic 3 Metals Mastering Chemistry

30 a) (1)

b) i) Calcium (1)
ii) Ca(s) + 2H2O(l) Ca(OH)2(s) + H2(g) (1)
iii)

c) W — copper (1)
Y — silver / mercury (1)

31 a) Mg(s) + CuO(s) MgO(s) + Cu(s) (1)

b) Silver is less reactive than copper. /
Silver has a lower affinity for oxygen than copper does. /
Silver is lower than copper in the reactivity series. (1)
So silver cannot reduce copper(II) oxide.

32 Answers for the questions of the public examinations in Hong Kong are not provided.

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