Reactions of Metals - revise fast with this KS3 science quiz

Science Quiz - Reactions of Metals 01 (Questions)

Questions and answers about reactivity series. Can you name some very reactive metals?

This is a fun way to recap your secondary school learning.

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Try this KS3 Science quiz on reactions of metals. Metals form a reactivity series which can be used to predict their reactions. The most reactive metals, such as lithium, potassium and sodium, are all metals which react with cold water. Many metals that you meet in school will react with dilute acids. When they do, they release bubbles of hydrogen gas and form a metal salt. The least reactive metals, like gold and platinum, don't react with water or dilute acids at all. This makes them very useful in situations where corrosion could be a problem e.g. jewellery and electrical contacts in computers.

Metals that are higher in the reactivity series will displace metals that are lower in the series from their compounds. Iron is more reactive than copper so if you put an iron nail into a solution of a copper compound like copper sulfate, the iron and copper swap places. Iron and copper sulfate become copper and iron sulfate. Metal carbonates also react with acids. In this case, the position of the metal in the reactivity series doesn't matter, carbonates of metals lower down react exactly the same as carbonates of more reactive metals.

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Metals are .......

[ ]	good conductors of heat and electricity
[ ]	magnetic materials
[ ]	poor conductors of heat and electricity
[ ]	usually liquids or gases at room temperature

The metals lithium, sodium and potassium (which react with cold water) are found in which group of the periodic table?

[ ]	1
[ ]	2
[ ]	5
[ ]	7

Some acid is put onto strips of metal. What would you see if the metals react?

[ ]	Burning
[ ]	Colour change
[ ]	Nothing
[ ]	Some bubbles of gas

If a metal reacts with a dilute mineral acid, the products will be .......

[ ]	a salt and carbon dioxide gas
[ ]	a salt and hydrogen gas
[ ]	a salt and water
[ ]	hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas

A metal which has been used for pipes and in coins because it has little reaction with air or water is .......

[ ]	copper
[ ]	iron
[ ]	potassium
[ ]	tin

Magnesium ribbon reacts with acid. It will react more vigorously if .......

[ ]	less magnesium is added
[ ]	more acid is added
[ ]	more water is added
[ ]	the acid is warmed up

Reactive metals can take the place of a less reactive metal in some reactions. This is known as .......

[ ]	combination
[ ]	displacement
[ ]	neutralisation
[ ]	oxidation

Zinc is more reactive than copper, so can take its place in a reaction with copper sulfate. Which is the correct word equation?

[ ]	Zinc + copper + sulfate → zinc sulfate + copper
[ ]	Zinc + copper sulfate → zinc + sulfate + copper
[ ]	Zinc + copper sulfate → zinc sulfate + copper
[ ]	Zinc sulfate + copper → zinc + copper sulfate

Metal carbonates react with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas. It can be tested for using .......

[ ]	a glowing splint
[ ]	a lighted splint
[ ]	limewater
[ ]	universal indicator

10.

Using your knowledge of metals and their reactions, which list places the metals in order of DECREASING reactivity?

[ ]	Copper, gold, zinc, iron
[ ]	Iron, magnesium, sodium, copper
[ ]	Sodium, magnesium, iron, copper
[ ]	Zinc, gold, copper, sodium

Science Quiz - Reactions of Metals 01 (Answers)

Metals are .......

[x]	good conductors of heat and electricity
[ ]	magnetic materials
[ ]	poor conductors of heat and electricity
[ ]	usually liquids or gases at room temperature

There is no correlation between the position in the reactivity series and how well a metal conducts electricity

The metals lithium, sodium and potassium (which react with cold water) are found in which group of the periodic table?

[x]	1
[ ]	2
[ ]	5
[ ]	7

They are called the alkali metals

Some acid is put onto strips of metal. What would you see if the metals react?

[ ]	Burning
[ ]	Colour change
[ ]	Nothing
[x]	Some bubbles of gas

More reactive metals also release a lot of heat in this reaction

If a metal reacts with a dilute mineral acid, the products will be .......

[ ]	a salt and carbon dioxide gas
[x]	a salt and hydrogen gas
[ ]	a salt and water
[ ]	hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas

Mineral acids that you may have used in your school laboratory are hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid. The salt depends on the acid and metal used, so if the metal was iron and the acid was nitric, the salt would be sodium nitrate

A metal which has been used for pipes and in coins because it has little reaction with air or water is .......

[x]	copper
[ ]	iron
[ ]	potassium
[ ]	tin

Can you imagine what would happen to a water pipe made from potassium?!

Magnesium ribbon reacts with acid. It will react more vigorously if .......

[ ]	less magnesium is added
[ ]	more acid is added
[ ]	more water is added
[x]	the acid is warmed up

When you warm up a chemical reaction, it goes faster

Reactive metals can take the place of a less reactive metal in some reactions. This is known as .......

[ ]	combination
[x]	displacement
[ ]	neutralisation
[ ]	oxidation

The more reactive metal displaces (kicks out) the less reactive metal from its compound

Zinc is more reactive than copper, so can take its place in a reaction with copper sulfate. Which is the correct word equation?

[ ]	Zinc + copper + sulfate → zinc sulfate + copper
[ ]	Zinc + copper sulfate → zinc + sulfate + copper
[x]	Zinc + copper sulfate → zinc sulfate + copper
[ ]	Zinc sulfate + copper → zinc + copper sulfate

It is just a case of swapping the zinc and copper round. A word equation shows you the starting and finishing materials

Metal carbonates react with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas. It can be tested for using .......

[ ]	a glowing splint
[ ]	a lighted splint
[x]	limewater
[ ]	universal indicator

The limewater turns cloudy (milky)

10.

Using your knowledge of metals and their reactions, which list places the metals in order of DECREASING reactivity?

[ ]	Copper, gold, zinc, iron
[ ]	Iron, magnesium, sodium, copper
[x]	Sodium, magnesium, iron, copper
[ ]	Zinc, gold, copper, sodium

If you forget, you can easily look up the reactivity series but knowing the main metals in order off by heart can save time when answering questions or working out what is happening in some chemical reactions