The Reactivity Series

2.15 - 2.20 Loss and gain

Oxidation and reduction reactions are very commonplace. When a element combines with oxygen that element is said to have been oxidised. When the oxygen is removed from an oxide of an element to leave the element on its own, the oxide is said to have been reduced.

Here we will use broader definition of oxidation and reduction which considers the loss and gain of electrons.

Oxidation Is the Loss (of electrons) Reduction Is the Gain (of electrons)

2.15 Activity 1. Displacement

Students should:

2.15 understand how metals can be arranged in a reactivity series based on their reactions with: water, dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.

2.16 understand how metals can be arranged in a reactivity series based on their displacement reactions between: metals and metal oxides, metals and aqueous solutions of metal salts.

2.17 know the order of reactivity of these metals: potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc, iron, copper, silver, gold

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This video explains the reaction when copper metal is displaced from solution by the more reactive metal iron. An iron nail is placed in a solution of copper sulphate.

A question of reactivity

Give and take...

Half equations can be used to show what happens to each type of particle involved:

Video Exercise: Metal displacement reactions close up..

This video shows a number of metal displacement reactions magnified and speeded up. For each reaction in turn:

decide which metal is oxidised
decide which metal is reduced
write two half equations to represent these changes
use these equations to decide the order of reactivity of lead, silver, copper and zinc

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