D Activity 4: “Destroying” Metals

Chemical reactions of metals

In our exploration of the world of metals in the Forensics unit
(Figure 4.0), you learned how to conduct various reactions of
metals and explain their outcomes through the activity series
of metals. It is time to go back to lessons learned in this
activity and apply them to the world of circutry.
Metals are good conductors because at the nanoscale they Fig 4.0
exist as ions surrounded by a free flow of electrons (Fig 4.1).
Electricity from a battery, such as the D or C battery you’ll use
in this laboratory activity, is a flow of electrons generated by a system of
chemical reactions, oxidizing and reducing various compounds – more on
this to come soon. Metals connected between the two reaction centers on a
battery (the + and – nodes) will allow electrons to flow (Figure 4.2),
completing the reaction and allowing electricity to flow in the circut. Anything
connected in the circuit, such a an LED light, will be powered by the flow of
electrons, i.e. the LED will light. If any part of the the metal connection
between the + and the – is destroyed, then the circuit is destroyed and the Fig 4.1

LED will no longer be powered and light.

In this activity, you will go back to your Forensics lessons on metals and
create a procedure to distroy a completed, working circuit – selecting the
materials, including the chemicals, and designing a set up that will
successfully accomplish the objective.

Fig 4.2

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P R E P A R I N G

WHAT DO YOU THINK? • LE ARNING OBJECTIVES Fig 4.3

Your instructor will demonstrate how to diagram a circuit (Figures 4.3). In this
lab you will work with a short circuit (for some reason “Number Five” keeps
running through my head…anyone know why?). A short circuit (Figure 4.4)
will divert the flow of electrons from the resistor (or light bulb), leaving the LED
off. Remembering the goal is to light the LED:
Fig 1.3
1. How could you use what you learned in Forensics to destroy a short
circuit if the short metal circuit didn’t have a plastic coating?
2. What type of metal would you use? Why? Fig 4.4

State your learning objectives for this lab in the form of a question or two (an
essential question or two). What questions should you be able to answer once
you’ve completed this lab? Share your objective (essential) question(s)
with your group before heading back to the lab.

Note: There are a variety of announcements for this activity dealing with safety
– understand how to be safe your laboratory materials!

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E X P E R I M E N T I N G

CIRCUITS AND THE ACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS

Short Circuit
You have three different materials to make the circuit out of magnesium, aluminum, and zinc. You will
need to:
1. Create a circuit to light the light out of any of the three metals. Have this checked by your
instructor.
2. Create a short in the circuit (short circuit) using one of the three metals and have it checked by
your instructor. Be prepared to discuss how you could destroy this short using what you’ve
learned in Forensics by showing your instructor a macro / nano / symbolic chart filled out in your
notebook or on a white paper or board provided.
3. Test various ways to destroy shorts made of magnesium, aluminum, and zinc with the solutions
available to you at your station. In your laboratory notebook keep track of your observations, so
that if you choose to use this in your project, you will have data on various options for your set up.
4. Dispose of materials as directed by your instructor. Please – no solids down the sink!

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A N A L Y Z I N G

RE ADING • QUESTIONS

Reading: Destroying Metals

Read Active Chemistry ChemTalk on pages 292 – 294 in your text (or on pages 297 – 299 of the PDF
file). This should be review but does include the idea of “half reactions.” Be sure to read this carefully.

Questions: Destroying Metals

1. Write the balanced reaction between neutral zinc metal and hydrogen ions (acid). Start with the
half-reactions that occur and show how they add up to this balanced reaction.
2. For each pair below, indicate which metal is more reactive.
Al or Pb, Au or Fe, Sn or Al
3. Choose one of the pairs in the previous question and write the balanced redox reaction that you
would predict should occur naturally. You will need to look up in a reference book how many
electrons the metal you haven’t worked with gives up. Show your work.
4. Why is it incorrect to say that, “when aluminum metal and copper ions were mixed, the aluminum
melted”? What is it correct to say? Explain why.
5. When you cook acidic foods (such as tomato sauce, which contains citric acid) in an aluminum
pot, the aluminum pot often turns black. What is the chemical reaction that is occurring that
involves aluminum metal from the pot?
6. Many nails and other hardware are made out of steel, which contains mostly iron metal. The
trouble is that iron rusts, especially when it is exposed to water and acid. Anodized nails contain
zinc to prevent the nails from rusting. Explain how this works, using what you know from the
activity series and your experiments in Forensics and Dominoes.

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 7. Which of the following pictures illustrates melting? Which illustrates dissolving? Explain your
answers, and explain what is happening in the pictures.

C R I T I C A L L Y

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T H I N K I N G

ME AN? • KNOW? • BELIEVE? • CARE?

What does the activity mean?

Chemistry explains the macroscopic phenomenon (what you observe) with and explanation of what
happens at the nanoscopic level (atoms and molecules) using symbolic structures as a way to
communicate. Explain the meaning of this activity by completing the MNS table.

MACRO NANO SYMBOLIC

What are the rules for single Explain how electrons, atoms and Write two half reactions for
replacement reactions that help ions are all involved in the one of the reactions from
you predict if they happen? reactions observed in this activity. this activity.

How do I know?
Relate your results with those predicted using the activity series. What happens when the metal and
cation are far apart from each other on the activity series? Close together?

Why do I believe?
The activity series determines how humans can use a variety of metals. Examples given included the
use of unreactive metals for jewelry, building structures, etc. Describe other situations where it would
be necessary to use a very reactive metal to achieve a desired result.

Why do I care?
Sketch out a diagram for a Rube Goldberg involving all three principles thus far from this unit,
including destroying a short in a circuit, and one unique principle from a previous unit. Be clear about
the reactants you’ll need for each change and describe the change as physical or chemical.