CHEMICAL ACTIVITY OF METALS

Elements can be like people, some are activity and participate in athletic or physical activity and some prefer to sit and read or watch television or play video games. In the case of an element, its activity level is a measure of its ability to react chemically with other elements. Many metals will react with ions of another metal in solution. You can tell that a reaction has occurred because the metallic ions that come out of solution form a solid precipitate of that metal. At the same time, atoms of the more active metal go into solution (appear to dissolve.) Chemists use the degree of activity to predict what changes will occur in certain reactions. A more active metal will always replace a less active metal in a compound. In this experiment, you will use three metals and four solutions of compounds that contain different kinds of metallic ions. You will put each metal into a separate sample of each solution and observe what happens. If a reaction occurs, you will notice a solid precipitate forming on the metal. It can look distinctly black, gray, silver, or green, or the change can be very subtle. If a particular metal reacts with the ions of many other metals, then that metal is a chemically active metal. If a metal reacts with few or none of the other metals, then it is chemically inactive. From your observations, you will arrange the four metals in order of their chemical activity. You will use this information to predict how a penny will react with hydrogen. Hydrogen is considered a metal when it is reacted with other metals because it tends to behave like a metal under these circumstances. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation is to compare the activity of four different metals and use the observations to predict the reactivity of the composition of a penny. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: What does the term chemically active mean? What evidence indicates that a chemical reaction has occurred between a metal and an ion in solution? Prior to 1982, what was the composition of a penny? Post 1982, what was the composition of a penny? Has the composition of the penny changed since 1982? HYPOTHESIS I: Can placement on the periodic table predict chemical activity of metals? How will the chemical activity of these metals compare?

ANALYSIS & CRITIAL THINKING QUESTIONS: 1.) What similarities and differences did you observe between the metals before any reaction in PART I? 2.) Which of the four metals reacted with the greatest number of solutions? 3.) Which of the four metals reacted with the least number of solutions? 4.) The Statue of Liberty is made of copper. Why is copper a better material for a statue than magnesium or zinc?

5.) Gold does not react with any of the solutions used in this investigation. What does this tell you about gold's chemical activity? 6.) How does the chemical activity of gold account for its use in jewelry? 7.) Lead is less active than zinc but more active than copper. Predict the results if lead is put into separate solutions of zinc nitrate and copper(II) nitrate. 8.) What is the metal in the hydrochloric acid solution? 9.) Use your resources. What is the Activity Series of Metals? Where do these metals fall on the series? 10.) Using the activity series of metals describe why the post- and pre-1982 pennies react differently in the hydrochloric acid solution. EXTENSION/ EXTRA CREDIT: Find out what metals are used to make pots and pans for cooking in the kitchen. What kinds of foods react with these metals? What kinds of foods react with these metals? Explain your findings in terms of the activity of metals.