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9F Patterns of
Reactivity
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Contents
9F Patterns of Reactivity
Summary activities
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Metals and water
The Romans used lead to make water pipes but didn’t know
that lead reacts slowly with water and makes it poisonous!
2K + 2H2O 2KOH + H2
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Metals and water – observations
James investigated how reactive some metals are when
they react with water and made these observations.
Metal Reaction with water
lithium Bubbles of gas are given off quite quickly.
When tested with universal indicator the
water is now alkaline.
silver No reaction.
gold No reaction.
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Metals and water – using unreactive metals
The words “plumber” and
“plumbing” come from
plumbum (the Latin word
for lead) because the
ancient Romans used lead
for their water pipes.
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Metals and water – order of reactivity
Put the following metals in order of reactivity based on their
reaction with water, starting with the most reactive:
copper, gold, magnesium, lithium, potassium, silver, sodium.
potassium
sodium
lithium
magnesium
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Contents
9F Patterns of Reactivity
Summary activities
2Mg + O2 2MgO
2Cu + O2 2CuO
magnesium
iron
copper
9F Patterns of Reactivity
Summary activities
Acid was used to find out if gold objects were made of real or
fake gold. Most metals react with strong acids. Gold is such
an unreactive metal that it does not react with strong acids.
When a metal reacts with acid, the products are a metal salt
and hydrogen. What is the general equation for the reaction
of a metal with acid?
Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2
Zn + 2HCl ZnCl2 + H2
Mg + H2SO4 MgSO4 + H2
Zn + H2SO4 ZnSO4 + H2
Mg + 2HNO3 Mg(NO3)2 + H2
Zn + 2HNO3 Zn(NO3)2 + H2
calcium
magnesium
aluminium
zinc
iron
lead
copper
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Metals and acid – reactivity activity
9F Patterns of Reactivity
Summary activities
potassium Please
sodium send
increasing reactivity
calcium Charlie’s
magnesium monkeys
aluminium and
zinc zebras
iron in
lead lead
copper cages
silver securely
gold guarded!
increasing reactivity
metals with oxygen, water calcium
and acids. magnesium
aluminium
zinc
Predictions can also be
iron
made about more complex lead
reactions where one metal copper
is competing with another. silver
gold
itmore
competes with less
reactive the less reactivemore
reactive metal.
reactive less reactive
metal + metal metal + metal
compound compound
The more reactive metal pushes out, or displaces, the less
reactive metal from its compound.
If the metal is less reactive than the metal in the compound,
it will not compete and so there is no reaction.
less reactive
metal + moremetal
reactive
no reaction
compound
magnesium + copper
sulfate
magnesium
sulfate
+ copper
Mg + CuSO4 MgSO4 + Cu
Mg + ZnSO4 MgSO4 + Zn
magnesium + iron
sulfate
magnesium
sulfate
+ iron
Mg + FeSO4 MgSO4 + Fe
zinc + magnesium
sulfate
no reaction
Zn + FeSO4 ZnSO4 + Fe
zinc + copper
sulfate
zinc
sulfate
+ copper
Zn + CuSO4 ZnSO4 + Cu
iron + magnesium
sulfate
no reaction
iron + zinc
sulfate
no reaction
Fe + CuSO4 FeSO4 + Cu
copper + magnesium
sulfate
no reaction
copper + zinc
sulfate
no reaction
copper + copper
sulfate
no reaction
Zn + CuO ZnO Cu
iron + copper iron oxide + copper
oxide
Iron is less reactive than zinc but more reactive than copper.
Copper is less reactive than zinc and iron and will not
displace either of these metals.
Reactants Reaction?
iron oxide magnesium
potassium
sodium
copper zinc calcium
sulfate
magnesium
potassium hydrochloric aluminium
acid
zinc
gold iron chloride
iron
lead
calcium sodium
chloride copper
silver
calcium oxygen
gold
9F Patterns of Reactivity
Summary activities