The reactivity of metals and the reactivity series
Metals can be ranked by how eager they are to take part in reactions.
Not all metals behave the same way. Drop a piece of potassium into water and it fizzes and bursts into flame; drop in a piece of gold and nothing happens at all. We say potassium is more reactive than gold.
The reactivity of a metal is how strongly and quickly it reacts with other substances. Chemists have tested every common metal and placed them in order β a list called the reactivity series.
A metal high in the series, like potassium, reacts fast and easily. A metal low down, like gold, hardly reacts at all β which is why gold jewellery stays shiny for thousands of years. The reactivity series lets you predict how a metal will behave before you test it.
- Reactivity is how strongly and quickly a metal reacts.
- The reactivity series ranks metals from most to least reactive.
- Potassium and sodium are very reactive; gold and silver are not.
- The series lets you predict how a metal will behave.