SIM 1

Subject:

Chemistry

Type of Lesson:

Lecture and Demonstration

Grade:

10

CSEC OBJ:

Students should develop or determine

an order of reactivity of the metals.

Term:

UNIT:

Reactivity of Metals

Duration:

80 minutes

Lesson:

Week:

Objectives
As a result of this lesson, you will be able to:
1)
2)
3)
4)

discuss the reactivity of metals.

state the products formed when metals react with oxygen.
state the products formed when metals react with water or steam.
state the products formed when metals react with dilute acids.

Prerequisite Student Knowledge

You should be familiar with:
1) Metals as elements that react by losing electrons to form ions.
2) Metals as elements found mainly to the left of the Periodic Table in
the first three groups.
3) Some reactions of metals.
4) The terms acidic and basic.

Important Points
Important points in this lesson:
1) Some metals are unreactive and others are very reactive.
2) The reactivity of a metal can determined from its position in the
Periodic Table.
3) Metals can undergo reactions with oxygen, water and dilute acids.
Key Terms
Reactivity

Valency

Electropositive

Amphoteric

Student Instructional Material

Challenge Areas
1. Does water react with
(i) Sodium
(ii) Magnesium?
In each case, if a reaction occurs, state the conditions required
and name the products formed.
2. Use the following elements to answer the questions below:
aluminium, bromine, calcium, chlorine, hydrogen, iodine, iron,
magnesium, nitrogen, oxygen.
Each element can be used once, more than once, or not at all.
Name an element which:
(a) Forms two different positive ions
(b) Has an amphoteric oxide
(c) Is the most reactive in the list

Equipment/Material Needed
Basin of water, small piece of sodium, magnesium ribbon, tongs,
Bunsen burner, dilute sulphuric acid, dilute hydrochloric acid, boiling
tube of boiling water, zinc, calcium, iron, lighted splint.

Note to Student
While the teacher is performing the demonstrations, carefully observe
the techniques for heating solids, trapping gases and working with
dilute acids.

Student Instructional Material

Introduction
1) Introductory Activity
a. You are provided with a list of elements and you must:
i. Sort the elements into two groups: metals and nonmetals. ( oxygen, magnesium, chlorine, sulphur,
calcium, carbon, sodium, nitrogen, hydrogen,
aluminium, fluorine, lithium)
Give reasons for the decisions made.
ii. You will then answer the following questions:
iii. Where in the Periodic Table are metals found?
iv. Why are these elements called metals?
v. Do metals become more or less reactive down a
group?

Notes
Remember that
metals lose
electrons readily
while non-metals
gain or share
electrons.

b.

Discuss the answers to these questions with your

classmates to form a framework on which to build the
concepts to be taught through this activity.
i. Magnesium, calcium, sodium, aluminium and
lithium are metals while oxygen, chlorine, sulphur,
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and fluorine are nonmetals.
ii. Metals are found to the left of the Periodic Table in
Groups 1 to 3.
iii. They are called metals because they react by losing
electrons to form positively charged ions.
iv. The reactivity of metals decrease across the period.
v. Metals become more reactive down the group as the
outer electrons become further away from the
nuclear pull of the nucleus and so become easily
detached from the atom.

Notes
Reactivity of
metals decreases
across the period
but increases
down the group.

c.

Some metals are unreactive and others are very reactive.

Based on the position of metals in the Periodic Table,
predict how reactive you think some selected metals are.
(Copper, platinum, sodium, iron, zinc, magnesium,
aluminium).
Your teacher will discuss the predictions.

Student Instructional Material

Body of Lesson
1) Discussion - Reactivity of metals.
a. Your teacher will discuss the following points:
i. Metals are generally defined as elements which can
form ions by electron loss. The number of electrons
lost per atom is the valency of the metal and the ion
carries an equal number of positive charges. Metals
are therefore described as electropositive.
ii. This ionization behaviour of metals results in
important chemical properties of metals. The first
chemical property is the reaction of metals with
oxygen in the air. This results in the formation of a
metallic oxide.
2) Demonstration Reactions of metals.
a. Your teacher will demonstrate the burning of magnesium
ribbon in air.
i. What product is formed?
ii. Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction
when magnesium is heated in oxygen.
iii. You may also visit the following link to observe
this reaction.
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/chemistry/metals-the-reactivity-series/reactions-of-metals.html
Click on the video clip of the reaction of
magnesium in oxygen.
iv. Note carefully all the changes the magnesium
ribbon undergoes. Do you know the name of the
substance formed?
Magnesium when heated in oxygen from air
produces magnesium oxide. If the oxide formed is
soluble in water then an alkaline solution is formed
(pH greater than 7). Some metals such as zinc,
aluminium and lead form amphoteric oxides. This
means that these oxides react with both acids and
alkalis.

Student Instructional Material

Write the word equation for the reaction in your

book and confer with your classmates for a
consensus.
b. The second chemical property is the reaction of metals with
water. Most metals react with water to form the hydroxide
and hydrogen gas or with steam to form the oxide and
hydrogen gas.
c. Your teacher will demonstrate the reaction of a tiny piece
of sodium in a large basin of water or you may visit the
following link to watch this reaction.
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/chemistry/metals-the-reactivity-series/reactions-of-metals.html
Click on the video clip showing the reaction of sodium with
water. You may also want to observe the reaction with
calcium and water.
d. Write the chemical equation for the reaction of:
i. sodium and water and
ii. zinc and steam
e. Metals also react with dilute acids by displacing the
hydrogen ion in acids to form salts and hydrogen. Your
teacher will demonstrate the reaction of calcium with dilute
sulphuric acid and iron with dilute hydrochloric acid. You
may visit the following link to watch a demonstration of the
reaction of an acid with a metal. Carefully observe the
correct method of trapping and testing the gas to confirm it
is hydrogen.
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/chemistry/metals-the-reactivity-series/reactions-of-metals.html
i. Write the chemical and ionic equations for the
reactions of: (a) calcium and dilute sulphuric acid
and (b) iron and dilute hydrochloric acid in their
notebooks.

f. Answer the following question:

Student Instructional Material

1. For the reactions observed with oxygen, which metal,

sodium or zinc, would you consider to be the more
reactive? Give a reason for your answer.

2. For the reactions observed with water or steam, which

metal would you consider to be more reactive? Give a
reason for your answer.

3. For the reactions observed with dilute acids, which metal

would you consider to be more reactive? Give a reason for
your answer.

Closure
In-Class Assignments
1) Write the word equations for the reactions of the following metals
with oxygen:
Potassium, calcium, iron and copper
2) Write the word equations for the reactions of the following metals
with water: sodium, magnesium, calcium and aluminium
3) Write the word equations for the reactions of the following metals
with dilute hydrochloric acid: calcium, magnesium, zinc and
copper.
Out-of-Class Assignment
1) For the word reactions written in class, write a balanced
equation for each reaction.
Supplemental
Glossary of Terms
Valency

The number of electrons an atom has to lose,

gain or share to attain a stable electronic
structure.

Electropositive

The tendency of an atom to lose electrons to

attain a stable electronic configuration

Amphoteric

Can react with both acids and alkalis

Student Instructional Material

Reactivity

the relative capacity of an atom, molecule, or

radical to undergo a chemical reaction with
another atom, molecule, or compound.form new
compounds.

CSEC Questions
1) Describe three different chemical properties of metals, using a
different metal to illustrate each property (equations are essential).
2) June 2006, question 4 part a(i) (ii) inserted below

Recommended Materials
Video clip showing reaction of sodium with water, video clip showing
reaction of magnesium in oxygen, video clip showing reaction of
calcium with dilute HCl. http://www.scool.co.uk/gcse/chemistry/metals--the-reactivity-series/reactions-ofmetals.html
Bibliography
Tindale Anne (1998), Chemistry: A concise revision course for CXC,
Stanley Thornes Ltd.
Holderness & Lambert (1992), A New Certificate Chemistry, 8th
Edition, Heinemann Educational Books.

Student Instructional Material