Jonathan Khan October 28, 2010

Ms. Crowley A.P. Chemistry Activity Series Lab

Reactions of Metals with Acid

Metal Reaction with HCl Observation Equation

Ca Yes, Fast Lots of bubbles, a Ca + 2HCl CaCl2 + H2

smell, and a gas Ca + 2H+ Ca+2 + H2
evolved

Cu No Reaction

Mg Yes, Fast Bubbles formed, and a Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2

gas evolved Mg + 2H+ Mg+2 + H2

Fe Yes, Slow Slight bubbling, with a Fe + 2HCl FeCl2 + H2

color change of the Fe + 2H+ Fe+2 + H2
solution from clear, to
brown; gas evolved.

Sn No Reaction

Zn Yes, Fast Fast light bubbling, Zn + 2HCl ZnCl2 + H2

with a slight smell, and Zn + 2H+ Zn+2 + H2
the color of the solution
changed from clear to a
grayish color.

Example: Yes, Slowly Gas evolved; solution Co + 2HCl CoCl2 + H2

Co turned blue Co + 2H+ Co2+ + H2
Reactions of Metals with Solutions of Metal Ions

Metal
Ions Ca2+ Cu2+ Fe3+ Fe2+ Mg2+ Sn4+ Zn2+ Al3+

Metal

Ca Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes,

Calcium calcium calcium solution solution solution calcium
dissolves, dissolves, dissolves, turned turned a turned dissolves
Solution solution solution white foamy white
turned turned turned a white
grey green greenish /
brown
color

Cu No No No No No No No
Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction

Fe No No No No No No
Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction

Mg Yes,
Magnesium
turned dark Yes,
No No No No at the No Magnesium
Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction edges, and Reaction Dissolves
began to
break down

Sn No No No No No No No
Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction

Zn Yes, zinc Yes, Zinc Yes, zinc No

turns blue turned turned Reaction
No solution solution solution a No No
Reaction black green grayish / Reaction Reaction
green
color
Example Yes, Yes, Yes Yes, Yes,
: Al aluminu aluminum aluminu aluminum aluminu
No m turned turned m turned No turned dark m turned
Reaction brown dark dark Reaction solution dark
solution colorless
colorless

Review Questions

1. What distinguishes a metal from a nonmetal?

a. A metal posses the following qualities which make it a metal

i. Luster

ii. Conductivity

1. Heat

2. Electricity

iii. Malleability

iv. Ductility

2. What does ionization energy measure?

a. Ionization energy is a measure of the amount of energy needed to remove an electron from the

valence shell of an atom.

b. The first ionization energy is used to measure how much energy is needed to strip the first

electron; the second ionization energy is used to measure how much energy Is needed to remove

the second electron. And the trend goes onward.

 c. The ionization energies increase from first and onward, because it becomes increasingly difficult

to remove electrons from an atom.

3. What does electron affinity measure?

a. Electron affinity is the measure of an atom’s tendency to attract electrons from other atoms, and

thus resulting in a bond.

4. Why must oxidation be accompanied by a reduction?

a. Oxidations must be accompanied by an reduction because when electrons are lost from one

atom, they must be transferred to another atom. They cannot simply be left unbound to an atom.

5. How does one determine the relative reactivities of metals?

a. In order to determine the relative reactivities of a metals,

i. Take a sample of each metal which you want to compare

ii. Place each under similar conditions,

iii. Place each into a solution of something reactive such as acid simultaneously

iv. Watch and rate the relative reactivities of each metal under the conditions that it was

presented to.

6. Complete and balance the following

a. 2Mg + O2 2MgO

b. Zn + 2HCl ZnCl2 + H2

c. Zn + Cu2+ No Reaction

7. Balance the following reactions and identify the species which have been oxidized, and which have been

reduced.

a. Cl2 + 2I- I2 + 2Cl-

i. Oxidized

1. Iodine

ii. Reduced

1. Chlorine
 b. WO2 + 2H2 W + 2H2O

i. Oxidized

1. Hydrogen

ii. Reduced

1. Tungsten

c. Ca + 2H2O H2 +Ca(OH)2

i. Oxidized

1. Calcium

ii. Reduced

1. Hydrogen

d. 4Al +3O2 2Al2O3

i. Oxidized

1. Aluminum

ii. Reduced

1. Oxygen

8. Of the following redox reactions are found to occur spontaneously, identify the more active metal in

each reaction.

a. 2Li + Cu2+ 2Li+ + Cu

i. The lithium

1. It donated an electron from each atom to the copper ion

b. Cr + 3V3+ 3V2+ + Cr3+

i. The chromium because it lost 3 electrons to the 3 vanadium ions

c. Cd + 2Ti3+ 2Ti2+ + Cd2+

i. The cadmium is more reactive because it lost 2 electrons to the 2 titanium ions.
Questions

1. Which of these metals should be the most reactive toward oxygen?

a. Calcium and magnesium should be the most reactive towards oxygen.

2. Which of the oxides would be expected to be thermally unstable and decompose according to

a. 2MO 2M + O2

i. The group two oxides would be expected to decompose according to that rule.

3. ON LAB

4. Which is more reactive Fe2+ or Fe3+, and why

a. Fe3+ is more reactive because it has a stronger charge

5. From the data in table B, rank the reactivity of aluminum

a. Aluminum is reactive with all metal ions except those of group two elements

6. ON LAB