An Experiment to Determine an Activity Series of Five Metals
PSI Chemistry
Name_______________________
Purpose : To study the reactivity of five metals and to develop the activity series
from most to least reactive: copper, magnesium, silver, sodium, and zinc.
Materials: Aqueous solutions(0.1M) of CuSO4, MgSO4, NaCl, AgNO3, and
ZnSO4, small pieces of Cu, Zn and Mg metal, reaction well plate.
Procedure: Place 10-15 drops of each of the solution in a reaction well plate.
Small samples of three metals (zinc, copper and magnesium) were added to
aqueous solutions of each of the following: CuSO4, MgSO4, NaCl, AgNO3, and
ZnSO4. Record your observation in the table provided.
Analysis:
1. Write skeleton equations for all the reactions that occur.
2. Which is more reactive, copper or zinc? Which result(s) support this
conclusion?
3. Which is more reactive, copper or magnesium? Which result(s) support this
conclusion?
4. Which of the five metals (copper, magnesium, silver, sodium, and zinc) is the
least reactive? Which results support this conclusion?
5. Which of the five metals (copper, magnesium, silver, sodium, and zinc) is the
most reactive? Which results support this conclusion?
6. Based on the results given above, list the 5 metals in order from most reactive
to least reactive.
Zn(SO4)
Cu
Zn
Mg
Cu(SO4),
NaCl
AgNO3
Mg SO4
For The Teacher:
Results:
Zn
CuSO4
Reaction
MgSO4
No reaction
NaCl
No reaction
AgNO3
Reaction
ZnSO4
---------------
Cu
---------------
No reaction
No reaction
Reaction
No reaction
Mg
Reaction
---------------
No reaction
Reaction
Reaction
Na> Mg> Zn> Cu>Ag