Chemistry I
LAB
Activity Series of Metals
Some of the chemicals in this lab are toxic so assume that they all are. One will turn your skin black
on contact. If you get any of these chemicals on your hands, wash it off immediately and tell your
teacher. Wear goggles at ALL TIMES over your eyes, not your forehead or neck.
Introduction: In this lab, you will be attempting to react a metal with several solutions. Each of these
will be a single replacement reaction. Only half of the reactions will occur. By recording which
reactions occur and which don't, you will be able to figure out their relative reactivity (activity series).
For example, you have 3 metals; A, B, and C and their salt solutions; ANO3, BNO3, and CNO3. You
put each metal in the other two solutions, you get the following results:
ANO3 BNO3 CNO3
A X
NR
NR
B Rxn
X
Rxn
C Rxn
NR
X
Where it says NR, there was no reaction. Where it says Rxn, there was a reaction. Where there is an
X, the test was not done because metal A doesn't need to be tested on solution A.
Since metal B reacted with both of the other solutions, it is the most reactive. Metal A didn't react with
either solution and is therefore the least reactive. The activity series goes B, C, A from most to least.
You will be doing the activity series for Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Ag. You should use the data chart on the
back of your lab report sheet just like the above chart was used.
Procedure:
1. Obtain a clean and dry 24 well plate. If yours needs cleaning, be sure to do that
before you begin.
2. Test one metal at a time by putting about 20 drops of the other 4 solutions in
separate wells. Be sure the metal samples are clean and shiny. Use sand paper to
clean their surfaces if necessary. Place them into the solutions. Wait at least 2
minutes to see if a reaction occurs. Evidence may include bubbles, metal changing
color, solution changing color, or the size or shape of the metal changing. Sometimes
when the metal gets wet, it changes color or appearance. Be careful not to mistake this
for a reaction.
3. Repeat this procedure until you have tested the 4 metals. The fifth metal doesn't
need to be tested as its solution has been tested against all of the metals (and it's
expensive).
4. Record the results of each test in your data table using the same abbreviations as in
the example.
5. Dump the chemical waste into the waste container. Rinse the metal pieces at your
sink, dry them thoroughly, and put them back in their proper location. Clean your 24
well plate completely to be sure that no residue remains in the wells.
Chemistry I
LAB
Activity Series of Metals
REPORT SHEET
1.
Name___________________Date________
Using your lab results, rank the metals in a
column format from most reactive at the top to
the least reactive at the bottom.
most reactive:
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
least reactive:
_______________
2.
How does your activity series compare with the actual one given to you by Mr. Scott?
(Be specific)
3.
Write a balanced equation for each of the reactions that occurred in your lab.
(Hint: There should be 10 reactions)
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If you were doing a lab final and you thought that you had a solution with zinc in it, how could you test
this idea using single displacement reactions? Explain:
In each of the boxes below, write RXN or NR according to your lab results. INCLUDE
a brief description of the evidence for the reaction if you write RXN in the box.
MgNO3 ZnNO3
Mg
Zn
Fe
Cu
Ag
FeCl2
CuSO4 Ag NO3
X
X
X
X
X