Different Metals have different rates of reactions, Metals like Sodium react dangerously Fast
Acids like nitric acid have such an oxidation state that makes them react violently with other metals and may cause explosive reactions. Its reaction with a metal does not liberate hydrogen and salt produced usually has a very high oxidised state and heavy corrosion may be the result that is there would be a break down in the properties of the metal reacting with it and nitrogen oxide is produced
B) How Metals react with Water:
When a metal reacts with water it displaces the hydrogen in the water. Metals react with water more vigorously as you go down group one. This is because as you go down group one the outer most electron of these metals is placed on a new shell each time, making the valance electron further away from the nucleus. This results in the electrostatic force of attraction between the valence electron and the nucleus to be weak. Placing a valence electron on a new shell also means that there is more repelling of the valence electrons from the inner shells. So the further away a valence electron if from the nucleus and the more shells there are the easier it is for the metals to loose that electron. Therefore the reactivity of the electron depends on how easily and quickly it can loose it’s valance electron, for example potassium is more reactive than sodium (because potassium has an extra shell!). As potassium is more reactive it can displace hydrogen from water. However magnesium isn’t very reactive; it can only displace hydrogen form steam
C) How Metals react with Salt Solutions of Other Metals:
Salts are made mostly when a Metal reacts with an acid for example if Aluminium reacts with Nitric acid it will form an Aluminium Nitrate (AlNO3)3. Salt solutions are aqueous. How a metal reacts with a solution of a salt also depends its place in the reactivity series for example magnesium will react with copper sulphate solution while copper metal will not react with magnesium sulphate solution, this is because Magnesium is higher than Copper in the reactivity series and can replace copper in the reaction forming magnesium sulphate solutionOnce the Metal reacts with a solution of a salt, the result is such that the metal in the salt solution is replaced by the metal reacting with it. Which is also called the Single displacement reaction.
Example: Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq) → ZnSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
What is replaced by what also depends on the cations and anions, something that is a metal(cations) might be replaced by a non-metal(anion)
We Can see in this Reaction that Bromine that is a metal(Cation) is replaced by Chlorine non-metal(Anion)
Example : Cl2 + 2NaBr → 2NaCl + Br2
The Ions that are left after a reaction and have not been reacted with anything are called spectators, This is because they might not be soluble in the solution made
