Metal Reactivity Series

Metal Reactivity

• The reactivity series is a list of metals in order of their reactivity, from most reactive to least reactive
• The series helps predict the outcome of single displacement reactions
• Metals high in the series will displace metals lower in the series from their salts
• Examples:
  • Potassium (high in the series) will displace sodium (lower in the series) from its salt
  • Copper (lower in the series) will not displace zinc (higher in the series) from its salt

Ionic Compounds

• Formed from the reaction between a metal and a non-metal
• Metal loses electrons to form a cation, non-metal gains electrons to form an anion
• Electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions holds the compound together
• Examples:
  • Sodium (metal) + Chlorine (non-metal) → Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
  • Calcium (metal) + Oxygen (non-metal) → Calcium Oxide (CaO)

Oxidation and Reduction

• Oxidation: loss of one or more electrons by an atom, molecule, or ion
• Reduction: gain of one or more electrons by an atom, molecule, or ion
• Oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously in a redox reaction
• Examples:
  • 2Na (s) + Cl2 (g) → 2NaCl (s) (oxidation of sodium, reduction of chlorine)
  • Zn (s) + CuSO4 (aq) → ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu (s) (oxidation of zinc, reduction of copper)

Acid-base Reactions

• Acid: a species that donates a proton (H+)
• Base: a species that accepts a proton (H+)
• Neutralization reaction: acid + base → salt + water
• Examples:
  • HCl (acid) + NaOH (base) → NaCl (salt) + H2O
  • Ca(OH)2 (base) + HNO3 (acid) → Ca(NO3)2 (salt) + H2O

Solubility Rules

• Guidelines for predicting whether an ionic compound is soluble or insoluble in water
• Rules:
  • All sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts are soluble
  • All nitrates and acetates are soluble
  • Most chlorides, bromides, and iodides are soluble, except for those of silver, lead, and mercury
  • Most sulfates are soluble, except for those of calcium, strontium, and barium
  • Most hydroxides and oxides are insoluble, except for those of sodium, potassium, and ammonium

Metal Reactivity

• Metals can be arranged in a reactivity series, from most reactive to least reactive, to predict the outcome of single displacement reactions
• Metals high in the series can displace metals lower in the series from their salts
• Higher metals in the series are more reactive than lower metals

Ionic Compounds

• Ionic compounds are formed through the reaction between a metal and a non-metal
• Metals lose electrons to form cations, while non-metals gain electrons to form anions
• The electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions holds the compound together

Oxidation and Reduction

• Oxidation involves the loss of one or more electrons by an atom, molecule, or ion
• Reduction involves the gain of one or more electrons by an atom, molecule, or ion
• Oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously in a redox reaction
• Oxidation states can be used to identify the species being oxidized or reduced

Acid-base Reactions

• Acids donate protons (H+), while bases accept protons (H+)
• Neutralization reactions involve the combination of an acid and a base to form a salt and water
• Strong acids and bases completely dissociate in water, while weak acids and bases partially dissociate

Solubility Rules

• Sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts are always soluble
• Nitrates and acetates are always soluble
• Chlorides, bromides, and iodides are generally soluble, except for those of silver, lead, and mercury
• Sulfates are generally soluble, except for those of calcium, strontium, and barium
• Hydroxides and oxides are generally insoluble, except for those of sodium, potassium, and ammonium