Metal Reactivity Coursework

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Metal Reactivity Coursework

Aim:

To put the following metals into a reactivity series:

Magnesium (Mg)

Zinc (Zn)

Iron (Fe)

Calcium (Ca)

Copper (Cu)

Aluminium (Al)

Method Plans:

1) Secondary Source: "Chemistry Counts" by Graham Hill. Record visual reactions, i.e. how bright the reaction is, how violently it reacts, and how fast the reaction is completed. This, however would be impossible with the metals concerned as, not only is it highly inaccurate but also slow: Iron takes a long time to react. The other reason is that you would then need a scale of violence for comparison of the various metals.

2) Record the amount of hydrogen produced upon reacting each metal with hydrochloric acid over a constant period of time. The higher the rate of hydrogen produced, the more reactive metal. Unfortunately the amount of hydrogen produced in each case is negligible. To get enough hydrogen produced to give meaningful results, large amounts of acid and metal are required. According to another secondary source, 30g of hydrochloric acid reacting with 0.54g of Aluminium gives of 0.067% of that- 0.02g as hydrogen. You would need at least ten times that much to be able to obtain a recording, therefore the experiment is not possible.

3) Measure the enthalpy change of reaction by measuring the heat produced at set intervals, thereby building a graph to extrapolate a curve giving us a maximum temperature rise. The higher the temperature rise, the more reactive a metal is. All measurements would be taken at R.T.P in a constant excess of acid using a constant mass of metal. Each metal would be tested two times and then plotted on a graph to be put together later.
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Predictions:

From the secondary source "Chemistry Counts" by Graham Hill I can predict that the reactivity series will look like this:

Magnesium

Aluminium

Zinc

Iron

Copper

The Series is most reactive at the top and becomes less reactive as you move down.

Calcium is not included above. But from preliminary work done I have learnt that calcium is very reactive and that it is very hard to test the temperature given off in this reaction by using the methord of testing which I am planing to use in this ...

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