Activity Series Independent practice
Answer all questions inside your interactive notebook. DO NOT WRITE ON THIS SHEET OF PAPER!
1. Which of the following is a metal?
A. Zinc
B. Carbon
C. Silicon
D. Sulfur
2. Metals can be placed in order of reactivity. What is this order called?
A. The periodic table
B. The reactivity table
C. The displacement series
D. The activity series
3. A displacement reaction can be described as:
A. Metal reacting with oxygen
B. Acid neutralizing alkali
C. A more reactive metal replacing a less reactive metal in its compound
D. A less reactive metal replacing a more reactive metal in its compound
4. Magnesium reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) to make hydrogen and a metal salt. The metal zinc is
not far below magnesium in the reactivity series. How would you expect zinc to react with hydrochloric acid?
5. Which of the following is the correct order of decreasing reactivity?
A. Iron, potassium, magnesium, gold, copper
B. Magnesium, copper, iron, gold, potassium
C. Gold, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium
D. Potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, gold
6. The alkali metals lithium, potassium and sodium all react with cold water to produce a gas and an alkaline
solution. What is their order of increasing reactivity?
7. Metal X displaces metal Y. Metal Z does not react with X or Y. What is the correct order of decreasing
reactivity for metals X, Y, and Z?
More questions on the back
For the following equations, predict the products of the replacement reaction and balance the final equation. If
no reaction would occur, write N.R. (hint: before balancing, think about what the compound would look like in
a normal Ionic Bond)
8. __Fe + __Al2O3 
9. __NaBr + __I2 
10. __AlBr3 + __Cl2 
11. calcium + hydrochloric acid 
12. potassium + water 
13. __Na + __H2O 
14. Ag + H2SO4 
15. sodium iodide + bromine 
16. A student investigated the different reactivity of a set of metals by placing pieces of metal in metal nitrate
solutions. The table below shows some of the results:
Solution
Aluminum
Nitrate
Barium Nitrate
Lithium Nitrate
Magnesium
Nitrate
Aluminum
Barium
Lithium
Magnesium
Copy this table into your notebook and place a  in the boxes where a reaction would take place, and an X in
the boxes when no reaction would take place.
 =reaction observed
 =no reaction
17. Use the results of the table to list metals in correct order of decreasing reactivity, with the most reactive
metal listed first.
18. The ancient Romans used lead for the pipes that retrieved water, why wasn’t this such a good idea?
19. Magnesium metal can be used to remove tarnish from silver items. Silver tarnish is the corrosion that occurs
when silver metal reacts with substances in the environment, especially those containing sulfur. Why would
magnesium remove tarnish from silver?
Answers:
1. A. Zinc
2. D. The activity series
3. C. A more reactive metal replacing a less reactive metal in its compound
4. Zinc would react less than magnesium (Be less reactive)
5. D. Potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, gold
6. A. Lithium, sodium, potassium
7. A. X, Y, Z
8. N.R.
9. N.R.
10.2AlBr3 + 3Cl2  2AlCl3 + 3Br2
11.calcium + hydrochloric acid  calcium chloride + hydrogen
Ca + 2HCl  CaCl2 + H2
12.potassium + water  potassium hydroxide + hydrogen
2K + 2H2O  2KOH + H2
13.2Na + 2H2O  2NaOH + H2
14.Ag + H2SO4  N.R.
15.sodium iodide + bromine  sodium bromide + iodine
2NaI + Br2  2NaBr + I2
16.
Solution
Aluminum
Barium
Lithium
Aluminum


Nitrate
Barium Nitrate


Lithium


Nitrate
Magnesium



Nitrate
Magnesium



17.Li, Ba, Mg, Al
18.Lead is higher on the activity series and can replace hydrogen, a major part of water.
Also, lead can lead to poisoning
19.Magnesium would replace the silver that has reacted with the sulfur, thus getting rid of
the tarnish