GCSE Chemistry · AQA 8462 · Topic 4.4.1
Reactivity of metals
Key points
- Metals react with oxygen to make metal oxides; this is oxidation. Losing oxygen is reduction.
- Reactivity series (most to least reactive, as often taught): potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, (carbon), zinc, iron, (hydrogen), copper. Reactivity depends on how easily a metal forms its positive ion.
- A more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from a solution of its compound.
- Unreactive metals such as gold are found as the metal itself. Most metals are found as compounds in ores and must be extracted.
- Metals below carbon are extracted by heating the oxide with carbon, e.g. iron oxide + carbon → iron + carbon dioxide.
- (Higher) Oxidation is loss of electrons, reduction is gain of electrons (OIL RIG). Displacement reactions can be written as ionic equations and half equations, e.g. .
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Some metals react violently with water while others barely react with acid. The reactivity series puts metals in order and lets you predict reactions and choose how to extract a metal from its ore.
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