HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)

Part III Metals

Chemistry: Chapter 11 Reactivity of metals

Combined Science (Chemistry Part): Chapter 11 Reactivity of metals

Multiple-choice questions

Section 11.1
|!|CMEMF0031100001|!| |!|CSEMF0031100001|!|
Which of the following statements about some reactions of metals are INCORRECT?
(1) Gold burns in air with a golden yellow flame under strong heating.
(2) Iron reacts with steam to give iron(III) oxide and hydrogen.
(3) Calcium burns under strong heating to give oxygen.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

##D Gold does not react with air even under strong heating. Iron reacts with steam to
give iron(II, III) oxide and hydrogen. Calcium burns under strong heating to give
calcium oxide.##

|!|CMEMH0031100002|!| |!|CSEMH0031100002|!|
Both sodium and calcium can react with cold water. Which of the following
statements are correct for both of the reactions?
(1) The metals move quickly on the water surface with a hissing sound.
(2) A colourless gas is produced.
(3) The resultant solutions are alkaline.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

##C When calcium is added to cold water, it sinks. Since metal hydroxides are
produced, the presence of hydroxide ions makes the solutions alkaline.##

|!|CMEMF0031100003|!| |!|CSEMF0031100003|!|
Which of the following combinations describing the reaction between sodium and
water is correct?
Resultant solution Gas evolved

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A. Acidic Oxygen
B. Alkaline Oxygen
C. Acidic Hydrogen
D. Alkaline Hydrogen

##D Sodium reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide and hydrogen. Sodium
hydroxide in water gives hydroxide ions, making the solution alkaline.##

|!|CMEMF0031100004|!| |!|CSEMF0031100004|!|
Which of the following metals should be added to dilute sulphuric acid so that
hydrogen can be safely produced in the school laboratory?
A. Copper
B. Lead
C. Potassium
D. Zinc

##D Zinc reacts moderately with dilute sulphuric acid and the reaction is easier to
control. Lead reacts with dilute sulphuric acid to form an insoluble layer (PbSO4) on
the surface of lead so as to prevent further reaction. Potassium reacts with the acid but
it is extremely dangerous. Copper does not react with dilute sulphuric acid.##

|!|CMEMF0031100005|!| |!|CSEMF0031100005|!|
Which of the following reactions does NOT give hydrogen?
A. Adding calcium granules to cold water.
B. Adding zinc granules to dilute hydrochloric acid.
C. Passing steam over a hot magnesium ribbon.
D. Adding an iron nail to cold water.

##D##

|!|CMEMF0031100006|!| |!|CSEMF0031100006|!|
Which of the following statements concerning the reactions of zinc are
INCORRECT?
(1) Zinc reacts with hot water to give zinc oxide and hydrogen.
(2) Zinc reacts with dilute sulphuric acid to give hydrogen.
(3) Zinc burns in air to give oxygen under very strong heating.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only

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C. (2) and (3) only

D. (1), (2) and (3)

##B Zinc does not react with hot water but it does react with steam to give zinc oxide
and hydrogen. Zinc burns in air to give zinc oxide under very strong heating.##

|!|CMEMF0031100007|!| |!|CSEMF0031100007|!|
Metal X reacts with cold water readily while metal Y and metal Z do not. Metal Y
reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid but metal Z does not. Which of the following
combinations is correct?
Metal X Metal Y Metal Z
A. Sodium Calcium Copper
B. Sodium Zinc Iron
C. Magnesium Lead Iron
D. Calcium Iron Copper

##D Calcium reacts with cold water readily to form calcium hydroxide and hydrogen.
Iron reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to form iron(II) chloride and hydrogen.
Copper does not react with neither water and dilute hydrochloric acid.##

|!|CMEMF0031100008|!| |!|CSEMF0031100008|!|
Refer to the following three metals A, B and C.

Property Metal A Metal B Metal C

Heating in air There is no It gives a lilac A white powder is
observable change. flame. produced.
Reaction with There is no Hydrogen gas is There is no
cold water observable change. produced. observable change.
Reaction with There is no / Hydrogen gas is
dilute observable change. produced.
hydrochloric acid

(a) Which of the following is the correct order of decreasing reactivity of the metals?
A. A > B > C
B. C > A > B
C. B > A > C
D. B > C > A


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(b) Metal B could be

A. aluminium.
B. calcium.
C. potassium.
D. sodium.

##D,C##

|!|CMEMF0031100026|!| |!|CSEMF0031100026|!|
Which of the following statements concerning sodium is/are correct?
(1) It reacts with water to give a colourless gas.
(2) It reacts with water to form a solution that turns blue litmus paper red.
(3) It dissolves in paraffin oil.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

##A The reaction of sodium with water gives hydrogen and sodium hydroxide.
Sodium has a giant metallic structure. It does not dissolve in paraffin oil (organic
solvent).##

|!|CMEMF0031100027|!| |!|CSEMF0031100027|!|
A piece of lithium metal is added to a beaker of water. Which of the following is/are
the expected observations of this experiment?
(1) An alkaline solution forms in the beaker.
(2) The lithium metal floats on water.
(3) The lithium metal burns with a golden yellow flame.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

##A Lithium is an alkali metal. Hence, an alkaline solution forms when it is added to
water. It floats on water because it has a lower density than water.##

|!|CMEMF0031100028|!| |!|CSEMF0031100028|!|
Which of the following observations can be made when some calcium granules are

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added to a beaker of water with a few drops of phenolphthalein?

(1) The calcium granules float on the water surface.
(2) The resultant solution in the beaker turns pink.
(3) The calcium granules burn with a brick-red flame.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

##B Calcium is denser than water and so it sinks to the bottom of the beaker. Calcium
hydroxide solution formed, which is alkaline, turns phenolphthalein pink.##

|!|CMEMF0031100029|!| |!|CSEMF0031100029|!|
Consider the reaction between metal Y and steam:
metal Y

steam

heat
A gas that can burn with a ‘pop’ sound is produced during the reaction. Metal Y is
probably
A. tin.
B. aluminium.
C. gold.
D. lead.

##B Hydrogen is produced during the reaction. Among the four metals, only
aluminium reacts with steam to give aluminium oxide and hydrogen.##

|!|CMEMF0031100030|!| |!|CSEMF0031100030|!|
Which of the following(s) will be observed when a piece of copper is added to a
beaker of dilute hydrochloric acid?
(1) The piece of copper sinks to the bottom of the beaker.
(2) The piece of copper dissolves in the acid.
(3) Colourless gas bubbles evolve.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only

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D. (2) and (3) only


##A Copper does not react with dilute hydrochloric acid.##

|!|CMEMH0031100031|!| |!|CSEMH0031100031|!|
When excess calcium granules are added to dilute hydrochloric acid, colourless gas
bubbles evolve. The mixture is then filtered. What would be observed if acidified
silver nitrate solution is added to the filtrate?
A. The solution turns milky.
B. A white precipitate forms.
C. Some silvery grey solid form.
D. There is no observable change.

##B The filtrate obtained is calcium chloride. The chloride ions in filtrate react with
the silver ions from the silver nitrate solution to form a white precipitate (i.e. silver
chloride).##

Section 11.2
|!|CMEMF0031100009|!| |!|CSEMF0031100009|!|
Consider the following four metals:

calcium, lead, silver, magnesium

(a) Which of the above metals can be extracted by heating its ore alone strongly?
A. Calcium
B. Lead
C. Silver
D. Magnesium

(b) Which of the following represents the reactivity of these metals in descending
order?
A. Silver, lead, magnesium, calcium
B. Calcium, magnesium, lead, silver
C. Magnesium, calcium, lead, silver
D Lead, silver, calcium, magnesium

##C,B##

|!|CMEMH0031100032|!| |!|CSEMH0031100032|!|

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Q, R and S are three different metals. When these metals are placed separately into
dilute hydrochloric acid, only Q and S react with the acid. When the metals are put
separately into cold water, only S gives colourless gas bubbles. Which of the
following correctly represents the ascending order of reactivity of these metals?
A. R < Q < S
B. Q < S < R
C. S < Q < R
D. S < R < Q

##A R is the least reactive as it does not react with hydrochloric acid. Among three,
only S reacts with cold water. Thus, S is the most reactive.##

Section 11.3
|!|CMEMF0031100010|!| |!|CSEMF0031100010|!|
Which of the following sets of state symbols is correct for the following reaction?
Mg(s) + H2O(a)  MgO(b) + H2(c)
a b c
A. l s aq
B. g s g
C. l aq aq
D. g aq g

##B Mg reacts with steam to give MgO(s) and H2(g).##

|!|CMEMF0031100011|!| |!|CSEMF0031100011|!|
Which of the following chemical equations correctly represents the reaction of
aluminium with steam?
A. 2Al(s) + 3H2O(g)  Al2O3(s) + 3H2(g)
B. 2Al(s) + 6H2O(g)  2Al(OH)3(s) + 3H2(g)
C. Al(s) + H2O(g)  AlO(s) + H2(g)
D. 3Al(s) + 2H2O(g)  Al3O2(s) + 2H2(g)

##A##

|!|CMEMF0031100033|!| |!|CSEMF0031100033|!|
Consider the following reaction:
Na2CO3(u) + CO2(v) + H2O(l)  2NaHCO3(w)
Which of the following combinations of the state symbols is correct?

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u v w
A. aq l s
B. aq g aq
C. s l aq
D. s g s

##B##

Section 11.4
|!|CMEMF0031100012|!| |!|CSEMF0031100012|!|
Which of the following statements about reactivity of metals is/are correct?
(1) The more reactive a metal is, the easier it loses electron(s) to form cations.
(2) The reactivity of metal decreases down a group in the Periodic Table.
(3) The reactivity of metal increases across a period in Periodic Table.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

##A The reactivity of a metal depends on the ease of losing the outermost shell
electrons to form cations. The reactivity of metals increases down a group and
decreases across a period in the Periodic Table.##

|!|CMEMF0031100013|!| |!|CSEMF0031100013|!|
Which of the following statements correctly explains the fact that potassium is more
reactive than sodium?
A. A potassium atom is heavier than a sodium atom.
B. A potassium atom is larger than a sodium atom.
C. The outermost shell electron of a potassium atom can be lost more readily
than that of a sodium atom.
D. A potassium atom has one more electron shell than that of a sodium atom.

##C##

Section 11.5
|!|CMEMH0031100014|!| |!|CSEMH0031100014|!|
Chromium reacts with lead(II) nitrate to give lead. It also reacts with dilute sulphuric
acid but does not react with cold water. The position of chromium in the metal

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reactivity series is probably placed

A. above calcium.
B. between calcium and lead.
C. between lead and mercury.
D. below mercury.

##B Chromium is below zinc but above iron in the metal reactivity series.##

|!|CMEMF0031100015|!| |!|CSEMF0031100015|!|
Which of the following observations can be made when a piece of magnesium is
immersed into a beaker of copper(II) sulphate solution?
(1) A reddish brown solid forms.
(2) The solution becomes paler in colour.
(3) Gas bubbles evolve.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

##A Magnesium displaces copper(II) ions to form magnesium ions and copper metal.
Since the amount of blue copper(II) ions keeps decreasing when the reaction goes on,
the colour of the solution becomes paler.
Mg(s) + CuSO4(aq)  MgSO4(aq) + Cu(s)##

|!|CMEMH0031100016|!| |!|CSEMH0031100016|!|
Consider the diagrams shown below.

Metal W displaced Metal Y displaced

rod of metal Z rod of metal X

metal W salt metal Y salt

solution solution

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Metal X displaced
rod of metal W

metal X salt
solution

Which of the following combinations is correct?

W X Y Z
A. Lead Copper Zinc Iron
B. Copper Zinc Iron Lead
C. Zinc Iron Lead Copper
D. Iron Lead Copper Zinc

##D From the three set-ups, we can deduce that metal Z is more reactive than metal
W; metal X is more reactive than metal Y; and metal W is more reactive than metal X.
Hence, the reactivity of the four metals should be Z > W > X > Y.##

|!|CMEMF0031100017|!| |!|CSEMF0031100017|!|
A piece of zinc is placed in a silver nitrate solution. Which of the following
observations can be made during the reaction?
A. The colour of the solution fades out slowly.
B. The solution turns pale blue quickly.
C. The solution turns milky.
D. There is no colour change of the solution.

##D A displacement reaction occurs: Zn(s) + 2Ag (aq)  Zn (aq) + 2Ag(s), but
+ 2+

there is no colour change of the solution because Ag+(aq) ions and Zn2+(aq) ions are
colourless.##

|!|CMEMF0031100018|!| |!|CSEMF0031100018|!|
Consider the results of the displacement reactions of four metals, A, B, C and D.

Solution of nitrate of
Metal
A B C D
A — No Yes No
B Yes — Yes Yes
C No No — No

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D Yes No Yes —

The decreasing order of reactivity of the metals is

A. D > A > C > B.
B. B > D > A > C.
C. C > A > D > B.
D. B > A > D > C.

##B##

|!|CMEMH0031100019|!| |!|CSEMH0031100019|!|
Metal A reacts with cold water to give hydrogen, but metals B and C do not. Metal B
can displace the ions of metal C in aqueous solution. Which of the following gives the
correct order of increasing reactivity of the three metals?
A. B<C<A
B. C<B<A
C. C<A<B
D. A<B<C

##B##

|!|CMEMF0031100034|!| |!|CSEMF0031100034|!|
From which of the following processes can iron be obtained?
(1) Heating iron(III) oxide strongly in air
(2) Adding zinc metal to iron(II) chloride solution
(3) Adding lead metal to iron(III) sulphate solution
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

##B Heating iron(III) oxide alone cannot reduce it to iron. Zinc is more reactive than
iron and so it can displace iron from iron(II) chloride solution. Lead cannot reduce
iron(III) ion as it is less reactive than iron.##

|!|CMEMF0031100035|!| |!|CSEMF0031100035|!|
A piece of iron nail gradually dissolves when it is added to solution P. P is probably
A. ethanol.

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B. copper(II) sulphate.
C. sodium nitrate.
D. zinc chloride.

##B Iron is more reactive than copper, but less reactive than sodium and zinc.##

|!|CMEMF0031100036|!| |!|CSEMF0031100036|!|
When a piece of metal X is put into a solution of copper(II) sulphate solution, a
reddish brown solid is coated on the surface of metal X. Which of the following
deductions about metal X is correct?
A. Metal X loses electrons more readily than copper.
B. Metal X can be sodium.
C. Metal X is discovered earlier than copper.
D. Metal X reacts rapidly with dilute hydrochloric acid.

##A Metal X is more reactive than copper.##

|!|CMEMH0031100037|!| |!|CSEMH0031100037|!|
P and Q are two different metals. Which of the following can show that Q is more
reactive than P?
A. P can only be extracted from its oxide by electrolysis but the oxide of Q can
be extracted by strong heating.
B. P is stored under paraffin oil while Q is stored in an airtight container.
C. Q can displace P from a salt solution of P.
D. Q has a higher relative atomic mass than P.

##C A more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from a solution
containing the salt of less reactive metal. Q can displace P from the salt solution of P
indicates that Q is more reactive than P.##

|!|CMEMF0031100038|!| |!|CSEMF0031100038|!|
Consider the following three test tube experiments:

CuSO4(aq) CaCl2(aq) AgNO3(aq)

Fe Fe Fe

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Tube 1 Tube 2 Tube 3

Which of the following combinations are correct?

Tube Observation
(1) 1 Silvery deposits form on the iron surface.
(2) 2 There is no observable change.
(3) 3 The solution turns pale green.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

##C Displacement reactions occur in tubes 1 and 3. Reddish brown copper forms on
iron piece in Tube 1.##

|!|CMEMH0031100039|!| |!|CSEMH0031100039|!|
A, B and C are three different metals. When they are put into lead(II) nitrate solution,
grey solid of lead forms on the surface of metals A and B. When the oxides of these
metals are heated with carbon, the oxides of A and C give a metallic lustre. Which of
the following correctly shows the descending order of reactivity of these three metals?
A. A > B > C
B. C > A > B
C. C > B > A
D. B > A > C

##D As A and B can displace lead from lead(II) nitrate solution, A and B are more
reactive than lead. C is the least reactive. The oxide of A can be reduced by carbon but
the oxide of B cannot, so B is more reactive than A.##

Section 11.6
|!|CMEMF0031100020|!| |!|CSEMF0031100020|!|
Which of the following ionic equations can be used to represent the reaction between
calcium and zinc sulphate solution?
A. Zn(s) + Ca2+(aq)  Zn2+(aq) + Ca(s)
B. Ca(s) + Zn2+(aq)  Ca2+(aq) + Zn(s)
C. Ca(s) + SO42(aq)  CaSO4(aq)
D. Zn(s) + SO42(aq)  ZnSO4(aq)


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##B##

|!|CMEMF0031100021|!| |!|CSEMF0031100021|!|
Which of the following represents the ionic equation for the reaction between
magnesium and silver nitrate solution?
A. Mg(s) + 2Ag+(aq)  Mg2+(aq) + 2Ag(s)
B. Mg(s) + Ag+(aq)  Mg+(aq) + Ag(s)
C. 2Mg(s) + Ag2+(aq)  2Mg+(aq) + Ag(s)
D. Mg(s) + Ag2+(aq)  Mg2+(aq) + Ag(s)

##A##

|!|CMEMH0031100040|!| |!|CSEMH0031100040|!|
Both W and Y are metals. Y can undergo a reaction with WSO4 and the ionic equation
is shown below:
Y(s) + W2+(aq)  W(s) + Y2+(aq)
Which of the following statements about the reaction is INCORRECT?
A. The reaction is a displacement reaction.
B. Metal Y is more reactive than metal W.
C. It is possible that Y is zinc while W is copper.
D. There must be a colour change in the solution.

##D There may not be any colour change in the solution. An example is the
displacement reaction between magnesium metal and zinc nitrate solution, in which
both Mg2+(aq) ion and Zn2+(aq) ion are colourless.##

Section 11.7
|!|CMEMF0031100022|!| |!|CSEMF0031100022|!|
X, Y, and Z are three different metals. X can be extracted from its oxide by carbon
reduction and Y can be extracted by direct heating of its oxide; while Z cannot be
extracted by these methods. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Z is the least reactive one.
B. Y is more reactive than X.
C. Y should be discovered earlier than Z.
D. X may be calcium.

##C As the oxide of Z cannot be reduced by carbon reduction or direct heating, it is
the most reactive metal among the three. Y can be extracted by heating alone, so it

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must be the least reactive metal among the three. As Y is the least reactive, it should
be discovered earlier than Z. Calcium oxide cannot be reduced by carbon reduction.##

|!|CMEMH0031100023|!| |!|CSEMH0031100023|!|
An oxide of metal X could be reduced by zinc. Which of the following deductions
about X are probably INCORRECT?
(1) X is more reactive than zinc.
(2) X reacts with hot water to give hydrogen.
(3) The reaction between X and dilute hydrochloric acid is explosive.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

##D Since the oxide of X could be reduced by zinc, X is less reactive than zinc.##

|!|CMEMF0031100024|!| |!|CSEMF0031100024|!|
Metals X and Y can be extracted by carbon reduction. X was found earlier and its
oxide is black in colour. Which of the following combinations about metals X and Y is
correct?
Metal X Metal Y
A. Iron Copper
B. Copper Zinc
C. Copper Gold
D. Aluminium Lead

##B Copper(II) oxide is a black solid.##

|!|CMEMF0031100025|!| |!|CSEMF0031100025|!|
Metals X and Y are extracted from their ores by electrolysis of their molten ores.
Metal X reacts with cold water while metal Y does not. Metal Z is low in the reactivity
series and forms a yellow oxide when cold. Which of the following combinations
about metals X, Y and Z is correct?
Metal X Metal Y Metal Z
A. Sodium Aluminium Lead
B. Potassium Calcium Zinc
C. Calcium Zinc Iron

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D. Zinc Iron Copper


##A Zinc and iron can be extracted from their ores by carbon reduction. Lead(II)
oxide is orange when hot but yellow when cold.##

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