Metal Reactivity and Reactions

The reactivity series ranks metals from most to least reactive, and it's basically a league table showing which metals are the most eager to react. More reactive metals have a stronger tendency to lose electrons and form positive ions.

You can test a metal's reactivity in several ways. With water, only the most reactive metals like potassium, sodium and calcium react with cold water to produce hydrogen gas and metal hydroxides. Metals like magnesium and zinc need steam to react, whilst copper, silver and gold won't react with water at all.

Displacement reactions are brilliant for comparing reactivity. When you put a more reactive metal into a solution containing a less reactive metal's salt, the more reactive metal kicks out the less reactive one. The more reactive metal gets oxidised (loses electrons), whilst the less reactive metal gets reduced (gains electrons).

Quick Tip: Look for bubbles when testing metals with acids - that's hydrogen gas being produced, showing the metal is reacting!