ANSWER KEY Due: Friday 22nd March

Chemical Reactions Worksheet – ANSWER KEY

Different metals have different amounts of reactivity.

Very reactive Somewhat reactive Less reactive Unreactive

Sodium Magnesium Silver Gold
Potassium Aluminium Copper
Calcium Iron
Zinc

Use the reactivity table in your exercise book to answer these questions.

Metal and oxygen reactions

1. What is the general formula for a metal + oxygen?

metal + oxygen  metal oxide

2. Magnesium reacts with oxygen to make magnesium oxide.

a. What are the two reactants? magnesium and oxygen

b. What is the product? magnesium oxide

c. Write a word equation for this reaction.

magnesium + oxygen  magnesium oxide

3. Which is the most reactive metal? Iron, magnesium or copper. Why do you think this?

magnesium – it has the more vigorous reaction in acid and when burnt over a Bunsen burner

4. Complete the equations below

a. iron + oxygen  iron oxide

b. aluminium + oxygen  aluminium oxide

c. zinc + oxygen  zinc oxide

d. calcium + oxygen  calcium oxide

Metal and acid reactions
1. Students set up a practical and record the following observations:

Each container has hydrochloric acid in it along with a metal.

1 – magnesium 2 – copper 3 – zinc 4 – iron 5 – aluminium

a. How do you know a reaction is happening in the containers?

Bubbles

b. What do the bubbles in the container mean is being produced in the reaction?

That a gas is being produced

c. Which is the most reactive metal? How do you know?

Magnesium – it is producing the most gas

d. Rank the containers in order or reactivity – highest first.

1,5,3,4,2

e. Describe one way to make sure the experiment the students completed was fair.

Same amount of each metal, same temperature, same concentration of acid etc

Metal and water reactions

1. Write a description of the reaction between sodium and water

Sodium reacts violently when added to water. It bounces around the surface of the water and can burst into flame
when the hydrogen it produces is lit.

2. Some metals are very reactive with water

a. Write the equation for a metal + water for these reactive metals

metal + water  metal hydroxide + hydrogen

b. Compete the equations for reactive metals below

i. lithium + water → lithium hydroxide + hydrogen

ii. sodium + water → sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

iii. potassium + water → potassium hydroxide + hydrogen

3. Other metals are less reactive, but do react with steam

a. Write the equation for a metal + steam

metal + water (g)  metal oxide + hydrogen

 b. Compete the equations for less reactive metals below

i. magnesium + water (g) → magnesium oxide + hydrogen

ii. aluminium + water (g) → aluminium oxide + hydrogen

iii. zinc + water (g) → zinc oxide + hydrogen

4. Why do you think metals like gold and silver are used for jewellery?

Metals like gold and silver are used for jewellery because they exhibit low reactivity, meaning they don't easily
corrode or tarnish, maintaining their shine and appearance over time.

Endothermic & Exothermic reactions

1. Define exothermic

Exothermic refers to a process or reaction that releases heat energy into its surroundings, often accompanied by a
rise in temperature.

2. Define endothermic

3. Endothermic refers to a process or reaction that absorbs heat energy from its surroundings, often resulting in a
decrease in temperature.

4. What is the scientific term for burning?

combustion

5. A scientific research group carried out a number of reactions and collected the data in the table below. Can you
decide if the reactions are endothermic or exothermic? Explain your choices

Reaction Temperature Change/0C

A +10

B +5

Sports Injury Pack -5

A exothermic – heat energy is released and the temperature goes up

B exothermic – heat energy is released and the temperature goes up

Sports Injury Pack endothermic – heat energy is absorbed and the temperature goes down