An Activity Series
Experiment No. 3
Toby Johnson
AP. Chemistry
Clarion Limestone High School
February 21, 2014
Abstract:
In this experiment I was able to find the relative reactivities of metal and nonmetal halogens.
The procedure for this experiment was divided into two parts. I first found the activity series for
metals and then I found the activity series for the halogens. For part one I first obtained a 24well plate and then I added drops of each solution in the wells instructed. Once that was done, I
then placed the metals given in each of the wells and determined if a reaction took place. For
part two I obtained test tubes and added drops of the solutions given by the instructions and
then added mineral oil and shook the test tubes. During part two I first found the colors of the
halogens in the mineral oil and the halide ion. Then once that was found I was able to
determine if a reaction took place after using the test tubes again. Based on the results I found,
I was able to develop the activity series from the metals given in the lab.
Apparatus:
Throughout this experiment two main instruments were used to obtain my results for the metal
and halogen activity series. In part one of the experiment I used a 24-well plate to determine if
a reaction occurred when a solution and metal was added to a well. In part two we used test
tubes to determine the color of the halogens and halide ions in the mineral oil, so I could then
determine whether or not a reaction took place after adding the solutions and mineral oil and
shaking the solution. Both of these instruments were very helpful in containing the solutions
and making sure an error was less likely in the experiment process.
Theory:
For part one of this experiment I placed a piece of metal into another metals solution to
observe if a reaction takes place. If a reaction does take place I know that the metal reduced
the other metal ion and is the more reactive metal of the two. Then for part two I determined
what color a halogen looks like dissolved in the nonpolar solvent mineral oil. Then knowing
what color the halogens produce in the mineral oil, I then made several aqueous halogen
solutions and added the mineral oil and observed the color change. I knew that once shaken
the halogen is extracted from the water into the mineral oil showing a color, which indicates
which halogen is present.
Procedure:
Starting this experiment off I first obtained a clean 24-well plate and placed it on a piece of
white paper so I would be able to determine if a reaction occurred easily based on the white
background. I then labeled the columns one through six and the rows A through D on the well
plate. I then put one milliliter of copper (II) nitrate solution into wells B1, C1, and D1 in the first
column. Then I added one milliliter of magnesium nitrate solution into wells A2, C2, and D2 in
the second column. Next was one milliliter of lead nitrate solution into wells A3, B3, and D3 in
the third column, then zinc nitrate A4, B4, and C4 in the fourth column, and finally sliver nitrate
into wells A5 through D5 in the fifth column. Once each of the solutions were put into each of
the designated wells I began to put the metals in each of the wells. Copper metal was put into
the first row, magnesium metal into the second row, and zinc metal into the fourth row of the
solutions. I then submerged each of the metals into the solutions by using a stirring rod and
allowed each solution to stand for five minutes.
After waiting for the solutions to mix I was then able to determine if a reaction had occurred in
each of the wells and determine the activity series for the metals. In part two of this
experiment I had to determine an activity series for some halogens. I took a milliliter of chlorine
water, bromine water, and iodine water and put each of them into three separate 10 mm test
tubes. Once each of these solutions were in the test tubes I then added a milliliter of mineral oil
to each test tube, corked the tube, and then shook each of the test tubes for ten seconds. From
this step I was able to see what color appears when each halogen is dissolved in mineral oil. The
next step was to test to see of the halide ions give a color to the mineral oil. I put sodium
chloride, sodium bromide, and potassium iodide solutions into three separate test tubes and
then I added mineral oil to each tubes, corked the tubes, and the shook each of the test tubes
for ten seconds.
I then recorded the colors given off by the mixture of the solution. Next I set up six new clean
test tubes in a test tube holder and labeled each of them 1 through 6. For the next last steps I
had to react each halogen with other two halide ion solutions to determine if the ions reduce
the halogens. First I placed a milliliter of sodium bromide solution into test tube 1 and
potassium iodide into test tube 2 and added chlorine water and mineral oil to each. Once the
solutions were added I corked each and shook to mix the solutions. I then recorded each of the
solutions results. I then repeated the same test using bromine water and using sodium chloride
and potassium iodide to test tubes 3 and 4. After I recorded the next results I then repeated the
same test for iodine water with sodium chloride and sodium bromide to test tubes 5 and 6.
Once the solutions settled I recorded whether or not a reaction had occurred.
Data Tables: An Activity Series for some Metals.
Cu(s)
Cu+2(aq)
X
Mg+2(aq)
No Reaction
Mg(s)
No Reaction
X
Pb(s)
Liquid turned
green and
slight tarnish
Liquid turned
green and
slight tarnish
No Reaction
X
No Reaction
Slight tarnish
Tarnished
and
dissolved
X
Zn(s)
Pb+2(aq)
No Reaction
Zn+2(aq)
No Reaction
No Reaction
Ag+(aq)
Turned
green
Turned black
and
dissolved
Turned black
and
dissolved
Turned black
and
dissolved
Part 2: An Activity Series for some Halogens.
Halogen
Chlorine
Bromine
Iodine
Color in Mineral Oil
White
Orange
Pink
Halide Ion
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Bromide
Potassium Iodide
Color in Mineral Oil
White
White
Yellow
Cl2(aq)
x
Yellow, Reaction
Pink, Reaction
Br2(aq)
Orange, No Reaction
x
Purple, Reaction
I2(aq)
Pink, No Reaction
Pink, No Reaction
x
Reaction Data Table
Reactants
Cl- (aq)
Br- (aq)
I- (aq)
Conclusion:
Post -Lab Questions
1. Write the balanced net ionic equations for all the reactions that occurred with the
metals.
2Ag+ (aq) + Cu(s)  2Ag(s) + Cu+2 (aq)
2Ag+ (aq) + Mg(s)  2Ag(s) + Mg+2(aq)
2Ag+ (aq) + Pb(s)  2Ag(s) + Pb+2(aq)
2Ag+ (aq) + Zn(s)  2Ag(s) + Zn+2(aq)
Cu+2 (aq) + Mg(s)  Cu(s) + Mg+2 (aq)
Cu+2 (aq) + Pb(s)  Cu(s) + Pb+2 (aq)
Cu+2 (aq) + Zn(s) Cu(s) + Zn+2 (aq)
Pb+2 (aq) + Mg(s)  Pb (s) + Mg+2 (aq)
Pb+2 (aq) + Zn(s)  Pb (s) + Zn+2 (aq)
Zn+2 (aq) + Mg(s)  Zn(s) + Mg+2 (aq)
2. List the metals in order of decreasing ease of oxidation. Compare this list with an activity
series found in a textbook. How do the two lists correlate?
Most to least Reactive would be Magnesium, Zinc, Lead, Copper, and Silver and the
series does agree in the textbook they are in the correct order.
3. Write reduction half-reactions for each of the metal ions. Arrange the reaction list in
order of decreasing ease of reduction. Compare the order with a listing found in a table
of standard reduction potentials. How do the two lists correlate?
Ag+ (aq) + e-  Ag(s)
E0=.8 V
Cu+2 (aq) + 2e-  Cu(s)
E0=.34 V
Pb+2 (aq) + 2e-  Pb(s)
E0= -.13 V
Zn+2 (aq) + 2e-  Zn(s)
E0= -.76 V
Mg+2 (aq) + 2e-  Mg(s)
E0= -2.37 V
The order of the list follows the order for standard reduction potentials from most
positive to most negative.
4. Explain how to determine if a reaction occurs in the halogen experiment.
The color of the mineral oil layer shows whether a reaction has occurred or not. If the
color of the halogen placed in the solution is present, no reaction has occurred. If the
color of the halogen which was originally present as an ion appears the halide ion was
oxidized to the halogen.
5. Why should the halide ions not dissolve in mineral oil?
The halide ions are charged particles and are polar and they will only dissolve in water,
but not in the mineral water since it is nonpolar.
6. Explain what is meant by solvent extraction. How is it used in Part 2?
In the solvent extraction the two liquids are shook together. The more polar solutes
dissolve more in the more polar solvent and the less polar solutes dissolve in the less
polar solvent. The nonpolar halogens in this experiment dissolve more in the nonpolar
mineral oil.
7. Write the balanced net ionic equations for the reactions which occurred with the
halogens.
Cl2(aq) + 2Br-(aq)  2Cl-(aq) + Br2(aq)
Cl2(aq) + 2I-(aq)  2Cl-(aq) + I2(aq)
Br2(aq) + 2I-(aq)  2Br-(aq) + I2(aq)
8. List the halogens in decreasing order of reactivity. Compare this list with an activity
series found in a textbook. How do the two lists correlate? Predict the location of
fluorine in this activity series.
For the most reactive to least Chlorine, Bromine, and Iodine and the order does agree
with the textbook. The halogens become less reactive as the atomic number increases.
Fluorine has the smallest atomic number of halogen,s which it will be the most reactive
of the halogens.
9. Write reduction half-reactions for each of the halogens. Arrange in order of decreasing
ease of reduction. Compare the listing with the order found in the table of standard
reduction potentials. How do the lists correlate?
Cl2(g) + 2e-  2Cl-(aq)
E0= 1.36 V
Br2(l) + 2e-  2Br-(aq)
E0= 1.09 V
I2(s) + 2e-  2I-(aq)
E0= .54 V
They correlate because the list goes from most positive to least positive.
10. Why was it necessary to test the halide ions for their color in mineral oil?
It was necessary because I had to be certain that they didn’t interfere with the color
seen from the halogens in the mineral oil.
11. Would it make a difference if calcium bromide solution, CaBr2, is used rather than the
sodium bromide solution? Explain.
It wouldn’t make a difference because both have bromide ions and the cations are
spectator ions.
In this experiment I was able to learn how to create an activity series for metals and halogens. I
also learned more about oxidation-reductions reactions and got a closer and more of in depth
look at how they occur throughout this experiment. Overall my data agreed with the textbook
information on the activity series of the metals and halogens. Each of the parts of the
experiments went well. I believe it’s possible some error could have occurred due to the
solutions being contaminated, took much of one solution or metal, and the chemicals being
outdated.