Metals and Reactivity

Question 1

What does a metal + acid produce?

Answer 1

A salt and hydrogen gas.

Question 2

What is a salt in chemistry?

Answer 2

A compound formed when hydrogen in an acid is replaced by a metal.

Question 3

What is the formula of copper sulfate?

Answer 3

CuSO₄

Question 4

What is the word equation for magnesium reacting with hydrochloric acid?

Answer 4

Magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + hydrogen

Question 5

What do very reactive metals like sodium form with cold water?

Answer 5

A metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas.

Question 6

Give the word equation for sodium reacting with water.

Answer 6

Sodium + water → sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

Question 7

What do less reactive metals like magnesium need to react with water?

Answer 7

They need steam instead of cold water.

Question 8

What is the word equation for magnesium reacting with steam?

Answer 8

Magnesium + steam → magnesium oxide + hydrogen

Question 9

What happens in a displacement reaction?

Answer 9

A more reactive element takes the place of a less reactive one in a compound.

Question 10

Which metal will displace copper from copper sulfate: iron or gold?

Answer 10

Iron (it is more reactive than copper)

Question 11

What is the test for hydrogen gas?

Answer 11

Insert a lit splint into the gas – if it makes a ‘pop’ sound, hydrogen is present.

Question 12

What do metals form when they react with oxygen?

Answer 12

Metal oxides

Question 13

Which metal burns very vigorously with oxygen?

Answer 13

Magnesium

Question 14

What happens when copper is heated in oxygen?

Answer 14

It forms a black coating of copper oxide.

Question 15

Name a metal that does not react with oxygen.

Answer 15

Gold

Question 16

What does the reactivity series show?

Answer 16

How reactive metals are, from most reactive (potassium) to least reactive (gold)

Question 17

Which metal is more reactive: iron or zinc?

Answer 17

Zinc

Question 18

What is the symbol for a gas in a chemical equation?

Answer 18

(g)

Question 19

What does (aq) mean in a chemical equation?

Answer 19

Aqueous - dissolved in water

Question 20

What are the state symbols for solid, liquid, and gas?

Answer 20

(s) = solid, (l) = liquid, (g) = gas

Question 21

What happens when a metal reacts with an acid?

Answer 21

It forms a salt plus hydrogen gas

Question 22

What is the word equation for magnesium + hydrochloric acid?

Answer 22

Magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + hydrogen

Question 23

What salt does hydrochloric acid produce?

Answer 23

Metal chlorides

Question 24

What salt does sulfuric acid produce?

Answer 24

Metal sulfates

Question 25

What salt does nitric acid produce?

Answer 25

Metal nitrates

Question 26

What happens when a metal oxide reacts with an acid?

Answer 26

It forms a salt plus water.

Question 27

What happens when a metal carbonate reacts with an acid?

Answer 27

It forms a salt plus water plus carbon dioxide gas.

Question 28

What is fuel?

Answer 28

A material that burns to transfer energy from

Question 29

State one example of an oxidation reaction that involves iron.

Answer 29

Rusting.

Question 30

Name the products of the thermal decomposition reaction of lead carbonate.

Answer 30

Lead oxide and carbon dioxide

Question 31

What is thermal decomposition?

Answer 31

A reaction where a substance breaks down on heating into simpler substances.

Question 32

What happens in the thermite reaction?

Answer 32

Aluminium reacts with iron oxide, displacing the iron and forming aluminium oxide and molten iron.

Question 33

What is the thermite reaction used for?

Answer 33

It is used to weld railway tracks and repair metal parts by producing molten iron in a very hot reaction.

Question 34

Give an example of a displacement reaction, involving zinc and copper sulfate.

Answer 34

Zinc + Copper sulfate → Zinc sulfate + Copper

Question 35

Why does zinc displace copper in copper sulfate?

Answer 35

Because zinc is more reactive than copper.

Question 36

What happens if you try to react a less reactive metal with a more reactive metal's compound?

Answer 36

No reaction will occur because the less reactive metal cannot displace the more reactive one.