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