When was the reactivity series invented

When metal reactivity is to be directly compared, a single displacement reaction serves the purpose. A metal will displace any metal lower in the series. For example, when an iron nail is placed in a copper sulfate solution, iron is converted to iron II sulfate, while copper metal forms on the nail. The iron reduces and displaces the copper. The reactivity of metals may also be predicted by reversing the order of standard electrode potentials.

This ordering is called the electrochemical series. The electrochemical series is also the same as the reverse order of the ionization energies of elements in their gas phase. The order is:. The most significant difference between the electrochemical series and the reactivity series is that the positions of sodium and lithium are switched.

The advantage of using standard electrode potentials to predict reactivity is that they are a quantitative measure of reactivity. In contrast, the reactivity series is a qualitative measure of reactivity.

The major disadvantage of using standard electrode potentials is that they only apply to aqueous solutions under standard conditions. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.

Create a personalised content profile. Higher education and standard level are required to study more metals as shown above. The reactivity series determines qualitatively characteristics such as the reactions with water, air and acids as demonstrated above.

However it is defined by the nature of the metals in single displacement reactions. When a metal in elemental form is placed in a solution of a metal salt it may be, overall, more energetically feasible for this "elemental metal" to exist as an ion and the "ionic metal" to exist as the element. Therefore the elemental metal will 'displace' the ionic metal over time, thus the two swap places.

Only a metal higher in the reactivity series will displace another. Category : Inorganic chemistry. Read what you need to know about our industry portal chemeurope. My watch list my. Answer : Zinc is more reactive than iron. Zinc is placed above iron in the reactivity series. For example, Zinc can displace iron from ferrous sulphate solution to form zinc sulphate and iron.

Stainless steel and tin including tin-lined copper are examples of nonreactive metals. You can use these pans for all kinds of foods, though you may not get the heat conductivity of copper or cast iron.

According to the increasing order of there reactivity, the given elements are arranged as Copper Which family on the periodic table is the most unreactive? The name comes from the fact that these elements are virtually unreactive towards other elements or compounds. Skip to content What is the reactivity series of metal? What is the reactivity series of metal? Reactivity of Group 1 Elements Hydrogen is a very reactive gas, and the alkali metals are even more reactive.

Which metal is the least reactive metal? Silver, gold, and platinum are metals with the least reactivity. They are found in nature. What is called reactivity series? What is the use of reactivity series? What is reactivity series example? How can you tell which metal is more reactive? Which is correct order of reactivity? The series can be used to predict the products of chemical reactions; for example, the products of displacement reactions can be determined from the Reactivity Series.

Hydrogen H and carbon C may also be added to the series. If a metal is above H in the series, then it will react with acids; if it is below, it will not. Similarly, if a metal is above C, then it can't be extracted from its ore by smelting with C.