Reactivity Series and Displacement

Question 1

Metals react with oxygen to produce metal oxides. Oxidation is gaining oxygen, reduction is losing oxygen

Question 2

When metals react with other substances the metals form positive ions, their reactivity depends on the number of electrons in its outer shell

Question 3

Metals with fewer outer electrons are more reactive. The reactivity series is:
Potassium, Sodium, Lithium, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Copper

Question 4

A more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from a compound

Question 5

Corrosion is the destruction of materials by chemical reactions with substances in the environment, e.g. rusting. Both water and air are necessary for iron to rust

Question 6

Corrosion can be prevented by applying a coating that acts as a barrier, e.g. painting or greasing

Question 7

Some coating use a sacrificial metal e.g. Zinc for Iron, that is more reactive than the one being protected, so it reacts with the environment instead. This is called galvanisation

Question 8

Unreactive metals such as gold are found in the Earth as the metal itself, but most metals are found as compounds that require chemical reactions to extract the metal.

Question 9

Metals less reactive than carbon can be extracted from their oxides by reduction (loss of oxygen) with Carbon

Question 10

The Earths resources of metal ores are limited, so Copper is being extracted in new ways from low grade ores

Question 11

Phytomining uses plants to absorb metal compounds. The plants are harvested then burned to produce ash containing metal compounds, which can then be processed to obtain the metal through displacement or electrolysis

Question 12

Bioleaching uses bacteria to produce solutions that contain metal compounds, which can then be processed to obtain the metal through displacement or electrolysis