WORKSHEET ON THE REACTIVITY SERIES

Worksheet G1.3

WORKSHEET ON THE REACTIVITY SERIES

1) Answer the following questions in terms of the chemical and physical properties of the elements concerned.

a) Why does gold occur native (uncombined) whereas zinc does not?

b) Why was silver used to make coins in the past?

c) Why is copper used to make electrical cables and wires?

d) Why is it hard to know about the tools used by people in the Iron Age?

(4)

2) The following metals are listed in order of reactivity (most reactive first)

sodium > magnesium > zinc > copper

a) Describe what each metal does when heated in air.sodium

..

magnesium..

zinc

..

copper

..

(4)

b) Describe what each metal does when added to dilute hydrochloric acid.magnesium..

zinc

..

copper

.

(3)

c) Why should you not add sodium to dilute hydrochloric acid?

(1)3) Describe what you would see if you dropped a piece of magnesium ribbon into some copper sulfate solution in a test tube. Write a word equation for the reaction.

...

(3)4) Complete the following word equations. If there is no reaction, write no reaction.a) zinc(s) + lead nitrate(aq).

b) iron(s) + zinc sulfate(aq)....

c) lead(s) + copper nitrate(aq)d) magnesium(s) + zinc chloride(aq).

e) copper(s) + sodium chloride(aq).

f) zinc(s) + iron sulfate(aq).g) gold(s) + silver nitrate(aq)....h) magnesium(s) + calcium nitrate(aq)(8)5) Three metals X, Y and Z have the following reactions:-

Z will displace X from a solution of its salt.

Y will displace both X and Z from solutions of their salts.

Place the three metals in order of reactivity, starting with the least reactive.

(1)6) Here is a list of metals in order of decreasing reactivity. Q and R are mystery metals.

K > Q > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > R > Pb > Cu

a) Will Q react with cold water?

b) Will R react with cold water?

c) Will R react with dilute hydrochloric acid?

....

d) Will R displace copper from copper sulfate solution?....

e) Suggest which metals Q and R might be.

Q =

R =

(6)TOTAL MARKS = 30

1