Reactivity Series – iGCSE Chemistry (Triple) CAIE Revision

The Reactivity Series is a ranking of metals based on their reactivity.
Reactivity refers to the ability of a metal to lose electrons in a chemical reaction, a process known as oxidation.
Highly reactive metals, like potassium, sodium, and lithium, are strong electron donors and lose their electrons easily.
Less reactive metals, like gold, silver, and platinum, are weak electron donors and do not readily lose their electrons.

Potassium, sodium, calcium, and lithium are found at the top of the reactivity series due to their high reactivity.
Metals of moderate reactivity, such as iron, zinc, and aluminium, are found in the middle of the series.
Copper, silver, gold, and platinum are low reactivity metals and are found at the bottom of the series.

The position of a metal in the reactivity series helps in predicting the possible chemical reactions and displacement reactions that the metal can participate in.
Reactivity series is valuable in determining the method of metal extraction. For instance, highly reactive metals are often extracted through electrolysis, whereas metals of moderate reactivity can be extracted through reduction using carbon.
Reactivity series is also used in corrosion prevention strategies. Metals that are more reactive are used as sacrificial anodes to prevent the corrosion of less reactive metals.

The reactivity series can be determined through practical experiments, such as observing the reactions of different metals with water, acid or oxygen, and comparing the intensity and speed of these reactions.
Displacement reactions are key to establishing the reactivity series. In these reactions, a more reactive metal will displace a less reactive metal from a solution of its ions.
Watching the displacement reactions can give an understanding of which metals are more or less reactive relative to each other, with the more reactive metals displacing the less reactive ones.