Chemistry-Reactivity of Metals Essay Example

Mg2+(aq)

This demonstrates that magnesium is more reactive than zinc, and both metals are more reactive than hydrogen. This third displacement reaction can be applied to any metal that appears lower than itself on the table. The larger the gap between two metals on the table, the stronger the reaction. For instance, placing copper in zinc ions will not displace the zinc since copper appears lower than zinc on the table.

The first group of five elements are extremely reactive metals that undergo reactions with cold water, hot water, and steam, resulting in the production of hydrogen gas and hydroxides. Following this, the four metals from magnesium through chromium are considered active metals as they react with hot water or steam, forming their respective oxides and hydrogen gas. All oxides belonging to these two groups of metals exhibit resistance towards reduction by H2O gas. Moving on, the six metals ranging from iron to lead are capable of displacing hydrogen from hydrochloric, sulfuric, and nitric acids. Furthermore, their oxides can be reduced through heating with hydrogen gas, carbon, and carbon monoxide.

All metals from lithium to copper easily react with oxygen to form oxides. The last five metals occur naturally in their pure form with minimal oxide content. These metal oxides follow different pathways and easily break down upon exposure to heat. The group 2 elements in the periodic table are referred to as alkaline earth metals.

The alkaline earth metals, beryllium (Be), magnesium (MGM), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sir), barium (Baa), and radium (Ra), make up the s-block elements in group 2. This series is effective for reactions occurring at room temperature and in aqueous solutions. However, there are limitations.

Other residues in the beaker from previous experiments may react with the water, producing a gas that could ignite with a lighted splint. It is important to conduct experiments quickly to prevent the cold water in the beaker from heating up too much.

B. It is important to light the splint either before adding the metal to the beaker with cold water or at the same time, in order to test for any gas produced before it escapes from the beaker's atmosphere. Assumptions: If there is a reaction, the amount of water used is enough to fully react with the two spatula loads of each metal.

The gas produced in both experiments was a result of the reaction between the water and metal used.