Reactivity Series Trick: An Overview
The reactivity series or the activity of metals is a right arrangement of common metals in order from very reactive to least active. For chemistry students, this is even more important since we need to know how metals behave in chemical reactions. The Reactivity Series is something tough to learn but it can be easily memorized with a few tricks.
Now, as we all know that Metals are usually elements with 1 to 3 electrons in their outermost shell and they can easily lose these electrons by formation of positive ions. The reactivity of metals is based on their tendency to reach a full valence shell.
The table below shows the arrangement of the activity series of metals:
Symbol | Metals | Reactivity |
Read more: Reactivity Series of Metals
Reactivity Series Trick: How to Learn Reactivity Series?
In chemistry, the concept of reactivity series is significant. The following are some tricks to help you recall the reactivity series:
Understanding: You can quickly recall the reaction series if you follow this tip. Reactivity means a metal's tendency to undergo a chemical reaction and lose electrons. The metals that are highly reactive readily lose electrons.
Practice: Practicing reactivity series, you get to know about the reactions between metals and non-metals. It aids in retaining information more effectively.
Visualize: You can make up raps utilizing the names of metals in the reactivity series in order to help you learn the series.
Mnemonic: In this handy reactivity series trick, each word in the sentence with the first letter represents a metal in the reactivity series.
Songs: To memorize the reactivity series, you can create raps using the names of metals in order of reactivity series.
Acronym: You can make an acronym by utilizing the initial letter of each metal in the reactivity series as it aids in memory retention.
Storytelling: You can construct a story using the metals name in place of characters in the order of reactivity series. This is a creative way to recall or remember reactivity series.
Reactivity Series Trick: Reactivity Series Mnemonic
Use mnemonic devices to improve your memory and it is easier to remember reactivity series. It is essential to understand this concept by creating memorable sentences.
Mnemonic 1: Please Stop Calling Me A Zebra I Like Her Calling Me Smart Goat.
Reactivity Series:
In this sentence, each word has the first letter corresponding to the reactivity series from potassium, which is the most reactive metal by nature and gold as less active. It is helpful in remembering the order of metals in the reactivity series.
Students can remember activity series of metals which can help in understanding chemical processes with examples:
Example 1: Displacement Reaction
In this type of reaction, a more reactive element displaces a less reactive one. And so lead (Pb), being a more reactive metal, if you were to put it into aqueous Copper chloride and make the solution, then the lead will replace the copper:
Pb + CuCl₂ → PbCl₂ + Cu
This is because lead is higher on the reactivity series than copper.
Example 2: Extraction of Metal
Metal extraction depends upon the reactivity of metals. Metals of low reactivity in the activity series are extracted by heating.
2HgS + 3O₂ → 2HgO + 2SO₂
2HgO → 2Hg + O₂
These examples illustrate how the reactivity series is used in predicting reactions.
Check more:
Read more about Electropositive Elements.
How to Remember Reactivity Series