Introduction to Predicting Reactions of Metals

The Reactivity of Metals

This video will introduce the reactivity of metals in water, acid, oxygen and, with other metal ions in solution for Prelim Chemistry, as part of the introduction to predicting reactions of metals.

Topic: Predicting Reactions of Metals

Conduct practical investigations to compare the reactivity of a variety of metals in:
- Water
- Dilute acid
- Oxygen
- Other metal ions in solution

Reactivity of Metals

The least reactive metals will react with nothing, the second least reactive metals will react with oxygen, the third will react with oxygen and dilute acids and them most reactive metals will react with oxygen, dilute acids and water. By looking at the reactivity of individual metals, we are able to arrange them into a metal activity series based on this relationship which will be covered in a later post.

Summary; from least reactive to most:

Reacts with nothing -> Reacts with oxygen -> Reacts with oxygen and dilute acid -> Reacts with oxygen, dilute acid and water.

This video will go through reactions of metals with water.

This video will look at the reaction of acids and metals.

This video will look at metals reacting with oxygen.

Metal Ion Solution and Displacement Reactions

Let’s say you have a solution of a metal ion and a different, more reactive metal in the form of a strip. If you put the strip in the solution, over time, the metal ions in the strip will displace the ions in solution.

This is an example of a displacement reaction, one thing is getting displaced by another. On the other hand, if the metal in the solution initially is more reactive than the strip, no displacement will occur. This video goes through this displacement interaction in a little more depth and with an example.