The Activity Series
Predicting Single Displacement Reactions
THE ACTIVITY SERIES• Not every single-replacement reaction will
happen.• The element on the reactant side must be more
“active” than the one it could replace.• Scientists have listed the order of activity of
elements in THE ACTIVITY SERIES.
Let’s look at several reactions:Fe + CuSO4 Cu + Fe2(SO4)3
Li + H2O LiOH + H2
Such experiments reveal trends. The activity series ranks the relative reactivity of metals.It allows us to predict if certain chemicals will undergo single displacement reactions when mixed: metals near the top are most reactive and will displace metals near the bottom.Q: Which of these will react?
Fe + CuSO4 Ni + NaCl Li + ZnCO3 Al + CuCl2
Cu + Fe2(SO4)3
Yes, Fe is above Cu
NR (no reaction)
No, Ni is below Na
Zn + Li2CO3Cu + AlCl3
Yes, Al is above Cu
KNaLiCaMgAlZnFeNiSnPbHCuHgAgAu
Yes, Li is above Zn
H is the only nonmetal listed. H2 may be displaced from acids or can be given off when a metal reacts with H2O (producing H2 + metal hydroxide). The reaction with H2O depends on metal reactivity & water temp. Q: will Mg react with H2O?
KNaLiCaMgAlZnFeNiSnPbHCuHgAgAu
cold H2O
hot H2O
steam
acid
NR
A: No for cold, yes if it is hot/steamMg + H2O
H2 + ZnCl2Complete these reactions:Al + H2O(steam) Cu + H2O Ca + H2SO4 Na + H2O
H2 + Mg(OH)2
H2 + Al(OH)3
H2 + CaSO4
H2 + NaOH
Q: Zn + HCl
• All metals will have a specific place in the activity series. For simplicity, only the most common metals are shown.
• The metals near the top of the activity series are more reactive because their valence electrons are more easily removed.
• On tests and exams the activity series may appear as K, Na, … Ag, Au; you must remember that K is reactive, Au is not.
• If the valence of a metal is not indicated in the question, use its most common valence (in bold on your periodic table) to determine the correct chemical formula.
Other Activity Series Information
There is also an activity series for non-metals:The activity series ranks the relative reactivity of non-metals.It allows us to predict if certain chemicals will undergo single displacement reactions when mixed: non-metals near the top are most reactive and will displace non-metals near the bottom.Q: Which of these will react?
I2 + 2NaCl F2 + 2NaBr
NR (no reaction)
No, I2 is below Cl2
Br2 + 2NaCl
Yes, F2 is above Br2
F2Cl2Br2I2