ACTIVITY SERIES OF THE ELEMENTS LAB
Develop an experiment to rank the following metals from most
easily oxidized to least easily oxidized:
Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Tin, and Zinc
Reagents: Dilute solutions of calcium nitrate, copper (II) nitrate, iron (III) nitrate, magnesium nitrate, tin
(IV) chloride, zinc nitrate and hydrochloric acid
Apparatus: 7 test tubes, test tube rack, transfer pipettes (plastic droppers), scoopulas
Procedure Requirements:
→ Develop a procedure and show it to the teacher prior to beginning the lab. It will be checked for SAFETY
and only a few suggestions will be given for improvements (if necessary)
→ If you modified the original procedure as you performed the lab, include only the MODIFIED procedure
in your lab report
Additional Information:
Use SMALL amounts of the metals
The actual volume of the solution doesn’t matter; use ½ of a dropper full of solution
Do not touch the metals with your hands
Do not point the test tube at someone else
Do not put your face directly above the test tube
Dispose of waste in the waste container at your table
Clean your test tubes after each test
Observations Requirements:
Include two data tables, one for your observations of the reactions between the metals and the salt solutions
and a separate one for the reactions between the metals and the acid.
Analysis Requirements:
→ Include a table with the molecular and net ionic equations (with states for each) FOR THE REACTIONS
THAT OCCUR for the metals with the acid and the metals with the metallic salts.
Note: if a reaction occurs with the tin metal, the metal will oxidize to Sn+2(aq) and if a reaction occurs
with the iron metal, the metal will oxidize to Fe+2(aq)
→ LIST the metals from most to least reactive.
Suggestion:
Rank the six metals according to their reactivities. For example, one metal (“A”) will replace all others in
solution as well as hydrogen from an acid. One of the other metals (“B”) will replace all of the metals except
for “A”, so “B” is less reactive than “A”, etc.
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Format Requirements:
→ All parts of the lab must be typed; no hand written labs will be accepted
→ Make sure you write formulas and states correctly throughout the lab (subscripts!)
→ You will are responsible for the following parts of the lab report as usual: title, pre lab questions, purpose,
reference (Nelson), balanced equations, hazards and safety issues, materials, procedure, observations, clean
up, analysis of data, conclusion, sources of lab error, post lab questions
Changes to the regular lab report requirements:
→ Include a Balanced Equations header, but indicate that the reader is to refer to the equations table on
Page ___ of the lab
→ Pre Lab questions: there are none for this lab
Post Lab Questions
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What distinguishes a metal from a nonmetal?
Why must oxidation be accompanied by reduction?
How does one determine the relative reactivities of a group of metals?
Explain the role of an oxidizing agent and a reducing agent in a redox reaction.
Where, in general. Do the most easily oxidized metals occur on the periodic table?
Due Date
See Website for details
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