ACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS LAB
PURPOSE
To develop an experimentally-derived activity series of metals. The metals in question are copper, magnesium, sodium,
silver, and zinc.
MATERIALS
 5 test tubes
 5 small strips each of copper and zinc metal
 5 small samples of magnesium powder
 Steel wool or fine sandpaper
 Aqueous solutions of the following:
o CuSO4
o AgNO3
o MgSO4
o ZnSO4
o NaCl
PROCEDURE
1. Each person will need a lab apron and safety goggles that must stay ON you during the whole lab.
2. Clean each strip of metal with the steel wool or sandpaper (if needed).
3. Label five test tubes with the formulas for each solution.
4. Pour 10.0 mL of each solution into its labeled test tube
5. Place a strip of one metal for that group into each test tube. Each tube will get THE SAME type of metal. You are
testing one metal at a time.
6. After 1, 5, and 15 min, make detailed observations about the metal strips and the solutions. (Once you begin to
see a precipitate formed, you may begin to write the balanced and net equations for each reaction while
waiting.)
7. After 15 min of observations, dump out all materials in the “Waste” beaker and rinse test tubes out with distilled
water.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 with the remaining metals.
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PRELAB (to be written on a separate paper/s)
Your name and names of lab partners (to be determined on day of lab)
Title of lab
Introduction – What is the learning context? (What is the question to be answered in this lab? What will you be
learning/practicing in this lab? - This should be about a paragraph long.)
Flowchart (This should show the procedures and materials in the form of pictures and few words)
Hypothesis Identify your independent variable (what are you changing?) and your dependent variable (what are
you observing) first. Then develop a hypothesis and write it in the If/then/because format. (Keep in mind what
you are trying to determine in the lab. What is the question? What do you predict the result will be?)
Data Chart – Think about what data you will be collecting during this lab activity. How many times will you
collect data? How much room will you need to write your data? Data chart should have straight lines drawn
with a ruler or on a computer.
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION
1. In which solutions did the appearance of the metal change? (Ignore the formation of bubbles)
2. Write a balanced equation for each reaction between a metal and a solution
3. For every solution that formed a precipitate, write a net ionic equation.
4. Based on the results of your experiment, construct an activity series for these five metals (Cu, Mg, Na, Ag, Zn)
5. Explain WHY you set up your activity series the way you did in #4.
CONCLUSION (to be answered at end of lab report in complete sentences)
How did the results match your original hypothesis? If it was different, explain why you think this occurred.
Lab adapted from Addison-Wesley Chemistry p.224 “Mini Lab – Activity Series of Metals”