Topic 4.2 Reactivity series of metals

REACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS

NON REACTIVE REACTIVE METALS

 Metal reacts with non metals to form a more stable compounds

 The rate of reaction is different of each metals

 This is because some metals are reactive and some are less reactive

 A more reactive metal such as potassium is more reactive than ferum because
potassium reacts readily with other metals compare to ferum.

 A more reactive metal doesn’t need heat to react, some need to be heated to react
with other elements

 In fig 4.3, potassium has the highest reactivity compare to other elements, whereas,
Aurum or gold is a non reactive metal.

REACTION BETWEEN METAL AND OXYGEN

 Metal reacts with oxygen to form METAL OXIDE

METAL + OXYGEN METAL OXIDE

 The rate of reaction is different of each metal (based on the reactivity series)

 Heat energy and/maybe light energy will be produced
 Non-reactive metals such as silver, gold and platinum do not react with oxygen
 Reactive metals such as potassium and sodium will react with oxygen even without the

presence of heat

 Other metals react with oxygen need heating.
 To supply oxygen to the reaction, POTASSIUM MANGANATE (VII) CRYSTAL is heated.
 Precautions when carrying out this experiment

 Do not mix the metal fillings with potassium manganate (VII) crystal – mixture will cause explosion
 Don’t look directly at the flame of burning reactive metal (such as magnesium) – it can damage

your eyes
 Asbestos paper and glass are dangerous, handle them with extra caution.

EXPERIMENT

OBSERVATION

METAL OBSERVATION
COLOUR OF FLAME
RATE OF REACTION COLOUR OF
Bright white flame PRODUCTS/RESIDUE
MAGNESIUM Metal burns very quickly and Bright white flame
ALUMINIUM brightly Bright green blue flame Solid white
Magnesium oxide
Metal burns quickly and brightly Bright yellow
No flame (glow) Solid white
ZINC Metal burns slowly Aluminium oxide

IRON Metal glows brightly Solid yellow-hot
LEAD Metal glows dimly Solid white – cold
Zinc oxide

Solid brown
Iron oxide

Solid brown – hot
Solid yellow – cold
Lead oxide

CONCLUSION
REACTION BETWEEN METAL AND OXYGEN

Burns very fast with oxygen

POSITION OF CARBON IN THE REACTIVITY SERIES IN
METALS

 Carbon is a non-metal
 Carbon reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide
 The position of carbon in the reactivity series can be determined by the reaction of

carbon with other metals
 When a mixture of carbon and metal oxide is heated strongly,

 REACTION WILL OCCUR if carbon is MORE REACTIVE than metal (CARBON WILL REMOVE METAL
FROM ITS METAL OXIDE)

 NO REACTION will occur if Carbon is LESS REACTIVE than the metal

CARBON + METAL OXIDE METAL + CARBON DIOXIDE

DETERMINING THE POSITION OF CARBON IN THE
REACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS

 1.mixture of carbon and zinc oxide
 Repeated by:-
 Carbon and aluminium oxide
 Carbon and lead oxide

CARBON + ALUMINIUM OXIDE
Aluminium Oxide + Carbon  NO REACTION

BEFORE HEATING

carbon

Aluminium oxide

AFTER HEATING … NO REACTION

Aluminium oxide carbon

CARBON CANNOT REMOVE ALUMINIUM FROM ALUMINIUM OXIDE BECAUSE ALUMINIUM IS MORE REACTIVE
THAN CARBON ( CARBON IS LESS REACTIVE THAN ALUMINIUM)

CARBON + ZINC OXIDE

ZINC OXIDE + CARBON  ZINC + CARBON DIOXIDE

CARBON + LEAD OXIDE

LEAD OXIDE + CARBON  LEAD + CARBON DIOXIDE

BEFORE

Lead oxide carbon

AFTER

 LEAD

CARBON DIOXIDE

 CARBON CAN REMOVE OXIDE FROM LEAD OXIDE BECAUSE CARBON IS MORE REACTIVE
THAN LEAD.

R E S U LT S

MIXTURE OBSERVATION INFERENCE
ZINC OXIDE + CARBON MIXTURE GLOWS BRIGHTLY
CARBON IS MORE REACTIVE THAN
ALUMINIUM OXIDE + CARBON NO REACTION ZINC

LEAD (II) OXIDE + CARBON MIXTURE GLOWS CARBON IS LESS REACTIVE THAN
ALUMINIUM

CARBON IS MORE REACTIVE THAN
LEAD

Aluminium, carbon, zinc, copper

POSITION OF CARBON IN THE REACTIVITY OF METALS

CARBON

POSITION OF HYDROGEN IN THE REACTIVITY SERIES

 Hydrogen is a non-metal
 The position of hydrogen in the reactivity series of metal is also determined by its

ability to remove oxygen from metal oxide.
 If HYDROGEN is MORE REACTIVE than the metal, HYDROGEN WILL REMOVE OXYGEN

from the METAL OXIDE.
 HYDROGEN

APPARATUS SET-UP TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF
HYDROGEN IN THE REACTIVIT Y SERIES OF METALS

R E S U LT S

WORD EQUATIONS

Aluminium Oxide + Hydrogen NO REACTION
Zinc Oxide + Hydrogen  NO REACTION
Iron oxide + Hydrogen  IRON + WATER

Copper oxide + Hydrogen COPPER + WATER