Metals and acids: S2

1. Reactions of Metals and Acids
2P9: Wednesday 10/11/10

2. Metals + Water: A quick review
• Complete the following word equation:
Metal + Water 
• Are the ‘reactants’ on the left or right of this equation?
• Are the ‘products’ on the left or right of this equation?
• How do we test for Hydrogen gas?
• Complete the following word equation:
______ + Water  Magnesium Hydroxide + _____
• List the metals in order of decreasing reactivity:
–Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium
–Potassium > Sodium > Calcium > Magnesium
• Why are Potassium and Sodium stored in oil?
Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen

3. Reactions of Metals with Acids
• Aim: Observe what happens when
metals are added to an acid
• You will need:
– Test tube rack
– 4 test tubes
– Metals: Magnesium, Zinc, Copper
– Acids: Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric
acid
– Heat proof mat, Bunsen burner,
splint
– Safety glasses

4. Experimental Method
• Place test tube in rack and add 10cm3
1M Hydrochloric acid
• Add a small piece of Magnesium – immediately place clean
test tube (inverted) over the reaction test tube to capture
any gas given off
• Once fizzing stops, test gas with a lit splint
• Feel the bottom of the reaction test tube to see if the
reaction mixture has become hot
• Repeat all of the above steps using Zinc and Copper
• Once you have tested all 3 metals with Hydrochloric acid,
repeat all three experiments using Sulphuric acid
• Record your observations in a suitable table
• When you have completed your experiment, draw a
labelled diagram of your apparatus, detail your method and
complete your table of results

5. Experimental Results: Metals + Acid
Metal Acid Observations Gas given off – test
with lit splint
Magnesium Hydrochloric acid Fizzing, test tube
heats up
Hydrogen gas
Zinc Hydrochloric acid Few bubbles
around surface of
metal
Hydrogen gas
Copper Hydrochloric acid No reaction No gas
Magnesium Sulphuric acid Fizzing, test tube
heats up
Hydrogen gas
Zinc Sulphuric acid Slightly more
bubbles around the
surface of metal
Hydrogen gas
Copper Sulphuric acid No reaction No gas

6. Conclusions
• Metals react with an acid to produce a chemical
called a salt. Hydrogen gas is also produced in
this reaction.
• General equation for a metal reacting with an
acid is:
Metal + Acid  Salt + Hydrogen

7. Naming Salts
Salts have a first name and a last name:
First Name – comes from the metal
Last Name – comes from the acid
Acid name Salt produced
Hydrochloric acid chloride
Sulphuric acid sulphate
Nitric acid nitrate

8. Examples of Salts
From our experiments, the reactions which worked were:
•Magnesium + Hydrochloric acid 
•Zinc + Hydrochloric acid 
•Magnesium + Sulphuric acid 
•Zinc + Sulphuric acid 
Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen
Zinc Sulphate + Hydrogen
Magnesium Sulphate + Hydrogen
Zinc Chloride + Hydrogen

9. Updating our reactivity series
Copper metal did not react with either Hydrochloric acid or
Sulphuric acid. Copper is therefore not as reactive as
Magnesium or Zinc.
We can add these metals to our reactivity series:
Potassium Most reactive
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper Least reactive

10. Updating our reactivity series
Copper metal did not react with either Hydrochloric acid or
Sulphuric acid. Copper is therefore not as reactive as
Magnesium or Zinc.
We can add these metals to our reactivity series:
Potassium Most reactive
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper Least reactive