SCIENCE FORM 4
CHAPTER 5: ENERGY
AND CHEMICAL
CHANGES
5.3 THE REACTIVITY SERIES
OF METALS
• Why do gold, silver and platinum exist as
elements in the Earth’s crust and whereas
metals such as sodium and potassium do
not exist as elements in the Earth’s crust?
• Some metals are more reactive than
others.
• Different metals show different
reactivity with water, acids and oxygen.
• The reactions involving metals:
(i) Reaction of reactive metal with water to
produce alkali and hydrogen.
Metal + Water Metal hydroxide
(Alkali)
+ Hydrogen
Example:
Sodium (natrium) + water sodium
hydroxide
+ hydrogen
(I) REACTION OF REACTIVE METAL WITH
WATER TO PRODUCE ALKALI AND HYDROGEN.
• [Link]
• Comparing Li, Na and K
• [Link]
Sodium in water explosion -Chemical Reaction
• [Link]
LITHIUM, POTASSIUM, SODIUM (NCSS – old version)
[Link]
Reaction of calcium, magnesium, zinc with water
(ii) Reaction of reactive metal with dilute
acid to produce a salt and hydrogen.
metal + acid Salt + hydrogen
Example:
magnesium + hydrochloric acid
magnesium chloride +
hydrogen
(II) REACTION OF REACTIVE METAL WITH DILUTE
ACID TO PRODUCE A SALT AND HYDROGEN.
• [Link]
xGHk
• Reaction of Mg, Al, Zn, Copper and Iron with
HCl
• [Link]
6WkY&list=PLC10F4535D849964F&index=211
MAGNESIUM with hydrochloric acid
(iii) Reaction of metal with oxygen to form
metal oxide
Metal + Oxygen Metal
oxide
Example:
Magnesium + oxygen magnesium
oxide
sodium potassium
(III) REACTION OF METAL WITH
OXYGEN TO FORM METAL OXIDE
• [Link]
vUA
• Reaction of different metal powder with
Oxygen
• [Link]
cHUk
• Burning metal powders (Zn, Al, Mg, Fe) +
Thermochromism
SCIENCE MODULE CHAPTER 5
• [Link]
gxs
SODIUM
[Link]
fRw&list=PLC10F4535D849964F&index=31
CALCIUM
EXPERIMENT P.106 = P.107
Reaction of sodium and calcium with water
Reacts very actively with water
Reacts actively with water
EXPERIMENT PAGE 108
EXPERIMENT 5.2
REACTION OF METALS WITH ACID
OBSERVATION
• [Link]
j-0
• Calcium and HCl
• [Link]
xGHk
• Reaction of Mg, Al, Zn, Copper and Iron with
HCl
4MB/4MC/4MD – CORRECTION !!!
Reacts very actively
Reacts actively
Reacts less actively
EXPERIMENT PAGE 109
REACTION OF METALS WITH OXYGEN
[Link]
UBRLDxM
OBSERVATION
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
EXPERIMENT P. 113
PROCEDURE
• [Link]
• Reducing Metal Oxides using Carbon
• [Link]
• Lead oxide reduction
OBSERVATION
COPPER OXIDE COPPER + CARBON DIOXIDE
IRON OXIDE IRON + CARBON
DIOXIDE
LEAD OXIDE LEAD + CARBON
DIOXIDE
ZINC OXIDE ZINC + CARBON
DIOXIDE
ALUMINIUM OXIDE ??
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
• Based on their reactivity with oxygen, metals and
carbon (non-metal) can be arranged in a reactivity
series as follows:
Potassium
Sodium Potato
Calcium Soup
Magnesium Can
Aluminium Make
Carbon All
Zinc Cruel
Iron Zoos
Tin In
Lead The
Copper Land
Silver Change
Gold So
Good
THE POSITION OF CARBON IN
THE REACTIVITY SERIES
• The position of carbon in the reactivity series is
determined by comparing its attraction for
oxygen with other metals.
• When carbon is heated with a metal oxide,
carbon can remove oxygen from the metal oxide
if carbon is more reactive than the metal.
• Example,
When zinc oxide are heated with carbon, the
oxygen in the zinc oxide is removed by carbon.
Therefore, carbon is more reactive than zinc.
• When carbon is heated with aluminium
oxide, the carbon cannot remove oxygen
from aluminium oxide.
• This means that carbon is more reactive
than zinc but less reactive than aluminium.
• Therefore, carbon is positioned between
aluminium and zinc in the reactivity series.
CHAPTER 5: ENERGY AND CHEMICAL CHANGES QUIZ
5. Which of the following metals can be
extracted from their ores by heating their
oxides with carbon?
I. Tin
II. Iron
III. Zinc
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III
CHAPTER 5: ENERGY AND CHEMICAL CHANGES
QUIZ
6. Lead can be obtained by heating a mixture of
lead oxide and carbon. This reaction takes place
because carbon
A. is a fuel
B. acts as a catalyst
C. is more reactive than lead
D. is a non-metal whereas lead is a metal
