1. Metals & Metal Compounds
D. Crowley, 2007

2. Metals & Metal Compounds
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Metals & Metal Compounds
To be able to predict the reactions between metals and metal compounds

3. Reactivity Series What can you say about the reactivity of metals?
Some metals are more reactive than others (remember gold in water is fine, sodium in water is not)!
We can order the reactivity of the metals, from most reactive to least
This is the reactivity series!

4. Reactivity Series
Look at the reactivity series – see if you can come up with a way to remember it…
Potassium
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Aluminium
Zinc
Iron
Lead
(Hydrogen)
Copper
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Very reactive
Fairly reactive
Not very reactive
Not at all reactive
Metals below hydrogen do not react with water or acid – they do not easily tarnish!

5. Displacement Some metals are more reactive than others
A displacement reaction is where one metal kicks another out
A more reactive element reacts with a compound and pushes out a less reactive “rival” element

6. zinc + copper oxide → zinc oxide + copper
Displacement
E.g. zinc is more reactive than copper – it will react with the copper oxide when heated
The zinc will displace the copper, leaving copper on its own and forming zinc oxide…
zinc + copper oxide → zinc oxide + copper
Zn + CuO → ZnO + Cu

7. Displacement
So the more reactive zinc has pushed the copper out, and formed zinc oxide
It’s a bit like a little guy going out with a girl. Everything is fine, until a bigger guy comes along and pushes the little guy away
The big guy gets the girl, the little guy goes home alone…
Try the Chem Wars: -
In our example, zinc is the big guy, copper the little guy, and the oxide is the girl!

8. Experiment
To prove the reactivity series, you are going to react a metal and a metal compound together
Firstly you will need a copy of the results sheet…

9. Results Sheet X Copper sulphate Iron sulphate Lead nitrate
Magnesium sulphate
Total reactions
Copper X
Iron
Lead
Magnesium
Total

10. Experiment 1 Get a test tube rack, and 3 test tubes
Fill each test tube up ½ way with copper sulphate
Add a small piece of iron to one
Add a small piece of lead to the second
Add a small piece of magnesium to the third
Has there been a reaction? Look for colour changes on the surface of the metal; colour changes in the solution; bubbles of gas given off; a temperature change
If there was a reaction but a tick in your table; if not put a cross

11. Experiment 2 Get a test tube rack, and 3 test tubes
Fill each test tube up ½ way with iron sulphate
Add a small piece of copper to one
Add a small piece of lead to the second
Add a small piece of magnesium to the third
Has there been a reaction? Look for colour changes on the surface of the metal; colour changes in the solution; bubbles of gas given off; a temperature change
If there was a reaction but a tick in your table; if not put a cross

12. Experiment 3 Get a test tube rack, and 3 test tubes
Fill each test tube up ½ way with lead nitrate
Add a small piece of copper to one
Add a small piece of iron to the second
Add a small piece of magnesium to the third
Has there been a reaction? Look for colour changes on the surface of the metal; colour changes in the solution; bubbles of gas given off; a temperature change
If there was a reaction but a tick in your table; if not put a cross

13. Experiment 4 Get a test tube rack, and 3 test tubes
Fill each test tube up ½ way with magnesium sulphate
Add a small piece of copper to one
Add a small piece of iron to the second
Add a small piece of lead to the third
Has there been a reaction? Look for colour changes on the surface of the metal; colour changes in the solution; bubbles of gas given off; a temperature change
If there was a reaction but a tick in your table; if not put a cross

14. Reactions
So some metals are more reactive than others – of ours the reactivity series of the metals was: -
Magnesium (3 displacements)
Iron (2 displacements)
Lead (1 displacement)
Copper (0 displacements)
Magnesium displaces the copper:
magnesium + copper oxide → magnesium oxide + copper
Iron displaces the copper:
iron + copper oxide → iron oxide + copper

15. Equations - Magnesium The equations for the magnesium was: -
copper sulphate + magnesium → magnesium sulphate + copper
(REACTION)
iron sulphate + magnesium → magnesium sulphate + iron
lead nitrate + magnesium → magnesium nitrate + lead

16. Equations - Iron The equations for the lead were: -
copper sulphate + iron → iron sulphate + copper
(REACTION)
lead nitrate + iron → iron nitrate + lead
magnesium sulphate + iron → magnesium sulphate + iron
(NO REACTION)

17. Equations - Lead The equations for the lead were: -
copper sulphate + lead → lead sulphate + copper
(REACTION)
iron sulphate + lead → iron sulphate + lead
(NO REACTION)
magnesium sulphate + lead → magnesium sulphate + lead

18. Equations - Copper The equations for the lead were: -
iron sulphate + copper → iron sulphate + copper
(NO REACTION)
lead nitrate + copper → lead nitrate + copper
magnesium sulphate + copper → magnesium sulphate + copper

19. Equations - Magnesium The equations for the magnesium was: -
copper sulphate + magnesium → magnesium sulphate + copper
CuSO4 + Mg → MgSO4 + Cu (REACTION)
iron sulphate + magnesium → magnesium sulphate + iron
FeSO4 + Mg → MgSO4 + Fe (REACTION)
lead nitrate + magnesium → magnesium nitrate + lead
Pb(NO3)2 + Mg → Mg(NO3)2 + Pb (REACTION)

20. Equations - Iron The equations for the lead were: -
copper sulphate + iron → iron sulphate + copper
CuSO4 + Fe → FeSO4 + Cu (REACTION)
lead nitrate + iron → iron nitrate + lead
Pb(NO3)2 + Fe → Fe(NO3)2 + Pb (REACTION)
magnesium sulphate + iron → magnesium sulphate + iron
MgSO4 + Fe → MgSO4 + Fe (NO REACTION)

21. Equations - Lead The equations for the lead were: -
copper sulphate + lead → lead sulphate + copper
CuSO4 + Pb → PbSO4 + Cu (REACTION)
iron sulphate + lead → iron sulphate + lead
FeSO4 + Pb → FeSO4 + Pb (NO REACTION)
magnesium sulphate + lead → magnesium sulphate + lead
MgSO4 + Pb → MgSO4 + Pb (NO REACTION)

22. Equations - Copper The equations for the lead were: -
iron sulphate + copper → iron sulphate + copper
FeSO4 + Cu → FeSO4 + Cu (NO REACTION)
lead nitrate + copper → lead nitrate + copper
Pb(NO3)2 + Cu → FeSO4 + Cu (NO REACTION)
magnesium sulphate + copper → magnesium sulphate + copper
MgSO4 + Cu → MgSO4 + Cu (NO REACTION)