Displacement Reactions Flashcards
(19 cards)
Which alkali metal reacts explosively with air and water?
Potassium
Alkali metals are known for their high reactivity, particularly with water and air.
What metal reacts vigorously with heated water?
Magnesium
Magnesium is classified as an alkaline earth metal.
Which transition metal oxidizes slowly in the presence of water?
Zinc
Zinc forms rust when it oxidizes, specifically zinc oxide.
Which transition metals do not oxidize easily?
Platinum and Gold
These metals are known for their resistance to oxidation.
What is the activity series?
A ranking of metals by their reactivity with different substances
It helps predict displacement reactions and metal extraction methods.
What explains the reactivity of a metal?
How easily they lose electrons
The more readily a metal atom loses a valence electron, the more reactive it is.
What is a displacement reaction?
Occurs when a solid metal is placed in a solution of ions of a different metal
A more reactive solid metal can displace a less reactive metal in solution.
What must be true for a displacement reaction to occur?
The solid metal must be more reactive than the metal in solution
If it’s less reactive, no reaction will occur.
What happens to the solid metal in a displacement reaction?
It becomes a cation in solution
The metal in solution becomes a solid metal.
In the example of zinc placed in copper sulfate, what happens?
Zinc displaces copper from the solution
The reaction is: zinc + copper sulfate → zinc sulfate + copper.
What happens when copper is placed in iron chloride?
No reaction occurs
Copper is less reactive than iron according to the activity series.
What are ores?
Compounds in which most metals are found
Metals are extracted from these ores.
What is the process of removing metal from its ore called?
Extraction
This involves giving electrons to a metal ion to return it to its solid form.
What is the relationship between a metal’s reactivity and its extraction difficulty?
The more reactive the metal, the harder it is to extract
Reactive metals are typically found in ores rather than in pure form.
What are native metals?
The least reactive metals that can exist in pure form in nature
Examples include silver, gold, and platinum.
How can metals below carbon in the activity series be extracted?
With carbon
Carbon removes oxygen from the metal ore, forming carbon dioxide and the pure metal.
What is the reaction for extracting iron using carbon?
iron oxide + carbon monoxide → iron + carbon dioxide
This process illustrates the extraction of iron.
What method is used to extract metals above carbon on the activity series?
Electrolysis
This involves passing an electrical current through molten ore.
What is a disadvantage of using electrolysis for metal extraction?
It is expensive
The cost is a significant factor in choosing extraction methods.
