Grade 11 Chemistry

Activity Series of Metals Lab

Problem: What is the order of reactivity of the metals copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc in single
displacement reactions?

Materials:
 Wellplate/Spotplate
 Small pieces of magnesium, iron, zinc and copper metal
 Dilute solutions of hydrochloric acid, copper (II) sulfate, zinc chloride, magnesium chloride, iron (III)
sulfate
 Wash bottle with distilled water

Safety:
 Wear goggles.
 Hydrochloric acid is corrosive.
 Dispose of chemicals in the waste beaker.

Procedure:
1. Record the appearance of each metal.
2. Using the well plate, combine each type of metal with each solution and with water. Put enough drops of
the appropriate solution to completely cover the piece of metal.
3. Record any changes in appearance due to a chemical reaction. In reactions of metal with acid, look
carefully for the formation of bubbles. If you are unsure about any observations, repeat the experiment in a
small test tube. This allows you to better observe the reaction. Look for colour changes on the surface of
the shiny part of the metal or in the solution. Remember that some reactions are slow (take a long time) and
you need to carefully observe them.
5. Clean all spot plates and test tubes and repeat Steps #1 and #2 for each of the other three metals. When
finished, you will have attempted 20 different reactions (20 trials)
6. Dispose of the solutions in the waste beaker supplied by the teacher. Do not pour anything down the
drain.

Observations:
For each single displacement reaction, make your observations in the chart below. If you believe that a
reaction has occurred, write “R” on the observation chart. If you believe that no reaction has occurred, write
“NR” on the observation chart
H2O (cold and HCl(aq) CuSO4 (aq) ZnCl2(aq) MgCl2(aq) FeCl3(aq)
distilled)

Cu
NR NR NR NR NR

Zn -bubbles - change of -bubbles

NR formed color NR formed
- minor
bubbling
Mg -bubbles -bubbles -bubbles -change of
NR formed formed formed color
-fizz -reaction -exothermic -bubbles
-heat highly - fizz formed
exothermic -heat -fizz
-brown
black
residue on
surface of
metal
Blue colour
of copper
(II) sulfate
appears to
fade
Fe -change of -whitish
NR color – grey NR NR
darkened of precipitate
iron over 24 - brittle –
hours powdery
-Iron
appears to
dissolve
 Analyze and Interpret

1. a) Write a chemical equation for each single displacement reaction recorded in your observation
table. Include the predicted placement of lithium in your ranking.
b) Rank the metals you tested in order of reactivity, beginning with the most reactive metal. Include
lithium in your ranking.
Keep in mind that hydrogen is a diatomic element.
***If no reaction occurs, write NR. Use the chart provided below or develop one of your own.

Metals that displace other metals) Metals that Displace Metals that Activity Series
hydrogen from acids displace hydrogen (list metals
from cold water below)
Mg + ZnCl2 -> MgCl2 + Zn Most Reactive
3Mg + 2FeCl3 -> 3MgCl2 + Zn + 2HCl -> ZnCl2 + n/a (lithium (rank)
2Fe H2 however should
Mg + CuSO4 -> MgSO4 + Cu and to a small Li
Mg + 2HCl -> MgCl2 + extent maybe Mg
H2 magnesium) Zn
Zn + CuSO4 -> ZnSO4 + Cu Fe
3Zn + 2FeCl3 -> 3ZnCl2 + Fe + 2HCl -> FeCl2 + Cu
2Fe H2
Or
2Fe + 6HCl -> 2FeCl3 +
Fe + CuSO4 -> FeSO4 + Cu 3H2 Least Reactive
Or
2Fe + 3CuSO4 -> Fe2(SO4)3
+ 3Cu

The reactivity of the metals in decreasing order would be lithium, magnesium, zinc,
iron, and copper. Lithium would be the most reactive metal because it can react with
water and magnesium can’t. Magnesium is second highest because it reacted with
every compound except for water. Zinc is lower than magnesium because no reaction
occurred between zinc and magnesium chloride. Zinc is higher than iron because zinc
reacted with iron (lll) chloride, but iron did not react with zinc chloride. Copper is the
least reactive metal because it did not react with any of the compounds. This means
that copper would be below all other metals in the activity series.

1. Lithium metal reacts with water.

a) Is lithium more or less reactive than magnesium?
Yes, lithium is more reactive the magnesium because its above magnesium on the
activity series.

b) Write a balanced chemical equation to represent the reaction of lithium and water.
2Li(s) + H2O(l) -> Li2O(s) + H2(g)

c) Would the resulting product be acid or basic? How can you hypothetically test if it was an acid
or base? (suggest at least 2 different ways)

The product is an acid because it is an aqueous solution containing hydrogen

ions. Therefore, we would predict its PH to be less than 7 and can verify this
using a pH meter or a pH natural or universal indicator. To test the acidity of the
product, you can use litmus paper to test the pH level of the solution or add a
known base and see if it reacts and neutralizes – creating a salt and water. if you
use red litmus paper in a product if it turns blue then it is a base, if you use blue
litmus paper in a product and it turns red, then it is an acid. You can also use a
Phenolphthalein, if it is an acid it would remain colourless, if it is a base it would
turn a pink or violet colour. A Bromothymol blue is also available, if it is tested in
a base it’ll remain blue, if it is tested in an acid it’ll turn yellow.
 2. Explain how the activity series can be used to predict single displacement reactions. Consult your
textbook.
The activity series can be used to predict the occurance of single displacement
reactions by analyzing which elements are more reactive or less reactive than
others. Morea reactive elements on the activity series would displace another
element below of it. The activity series for metals as well as a noble gases have
been explored. Understanding if a reaction would occur would allow for
construction of safe building materials, building tools and operational machinery,
just to name a few.

3. Given that lithium reacts with water and that magnesium does not, do you expect lithium to react
with hydrochloric acid? If so, write a balanced chemical reaction.
Yes, Lithium will react with hydrochloric acid. It will strip the electron e from
hydrogen atom. 2Li + 2HCl (aq) → H2 + 2LiCl

4. Many people use copper piping to route water through their homes. Explain why magnesium or
aluminum could not be used.

People choose to use copper piping to route water through their homes because
copper does not react with the water or acid residues contained in the pipes (i.e.
resistant to corrosion). Copper is lower in the activity series than hydrogen, making it
less reactive, therefore it wouldn’t be a single displacement reaction. If the pipes were
made of Magnesium and aluminum (both more reactive metals) it would be
significantly more dangerous. Magnesium burns in steam to produce white
magnesium oxide and hydrogen gas. Pure magnesium can also react with water to
produce magnesium hydroxide which is insoluble in water and would clog the pipes
and potentially lead to high pressure area with hydrogen build-up, potentially a flood
or fire hazard (since hydrogen gas is highly flammable).

ﾧﾧ

Magnesium will do this since its higher than hydrogen in the activity series, and
would create a single displacement reaction. Aluminum would create Aluminum
hydroxide as well as hydrogen gas, resulting in a similar scenario as would
magnesium. This makes it unsafe to route water to homes, since aluminum and
magnesium would react, where as it is safe to use copper since it is less reactive than
hydrogen and below it on the activity series. Copper is also a very ductile metal and
has very good heat and electrical conductivity. Also, copper is soft and easily bent.

5. From the following displacement reactions, arrange these hypothetical

chemicals in order of decreasing activity (most to least reactive):

A + B+ ( A+ + B (Since A displaces B, this indicates that A > B)

C + B+ ( no reaction (Since there is no reaction, B >C)

D + C+ ( D+ + C (Since D displaces C, D >C)

F + G+ ( no reaction (Since there is no reaction, G >F)

A + F+ ( no reaction (Since there is no reaction, F >A)

F + D+ ( F+ + D (F displaces D, therefore F>D)

D + B+ ( no reaction (no reaction means B>D)

G + A+ ( G+ + A (G displaces A, therefore G>A)

Most reactive to least reactive:

G> F>A>B>D>C

6. Did you see bubbles produced during any of the reactions? From your balanced chemical
equations, you can see that gas is not a product in all of these single displacement reactions. What
would account for the presence of bubbles?
Bubbles suggest that there may have been another reaction taking place within the
solution. The bubbles were more visible and bigger in the reactions that took
place with magnesium, the most reactive of the elements we used in the lab. The
formation of bubbles is an indication of the chemical reaction taking place. When
the bubbles stop, it is an indication that the chemical reaction has finished.
The bubbles are accounted from the magnesium granules being forced to react
with the solvent (water) causing hydrogen to be displaced. Since the magnesium
granules were very small, it had a large available surface area which increased the
virulence of the reaction with the metal salt as well as the solvent itself. Since the
metal salt did not contain the hydrogen, the hydrogen gas produced must be a
result of magnesium extracting the hydrogen from a water molecule. . Since
magnesium primarily reacts with hot water and steam, which it was able to do by
the already exothermic nature of the reaction with the metallic salt. This hot
water (which was in small volume) was easily generated by the exothermic and
vigorous reaction of magnesium and zinc chloride or iron (III) chloride.

For example:
Primary reaction:
magnesium turnings are added to a solution of iron(III) chloride.
Mg(s) + Fe3+(aq) => Mg2+(aq) + Fe2+(aq)

Seocndary reaction:
magnesium + water ==> magnesium hydroxide + hydrogen
Mg(s) + 2H2O(l) ==> Mg(OH)2(aq/s) + H2(g)

As more heat is generated in the reaction, the magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen
gas are genererated a bit faster..