When we complete this experiment, there are quite a few variables that we need to keep constant. We could work out the quantity of hydrogen gas produced more accurately by using a gas syringe – click here to see what the apparatus would look like if we were measuring the volume of gas produced look at method 2. There are 118 elements known to us, out of which 92 are naturally occurring, while the rest have been prepared artificially. But if the reactivities of the metals were closer, it may be harder to see which metal was producing more hydrogen gas and therefore which metal is more reactive. An element is the simplest form of matter that cannot be split into simpler substances or built from simpler substances by any ordinary chemical or physical method. This would be fine for the 3 metals that I tested because their reactivities were very different. In this experiment, we used the number of bubbles produced as a proxy for the rate of reaction and reactivity of the metals. So, the order of reactivity for these 3 metals going from most reactive to least reactive is magnesium (most reactive), iron and copper (least reactive). Copper produced no bubbles, which means that copper didn’t react at all and is the least reactive of the 3 metals. The reaction with iron produced a few bubbles, which means that iron is less reactive than magnesium, but more reactive than copper.

Table 1 below is used to record the mixture that reacted to take place.In test 1, we test and observe the reaction between the Group 2 Nitrates and H2SO4.In test 2, we test and observe the reaction between the Group 2 Nitrates and Na2CO3.In test 3, we test and observe the reaction between the Group 2 Nitrates and (NH4)2C2O4.In test 4, we test and observe the reaction between the Group 2 Nitrates and KIO3.From the diagram above, we can see that magnesium produced the greatest number of bubbles – this means that out of the 3 metals, magnesium is the most reactive. The next step is to mix the solutions in the first set with the solutions in the second set, noting the possible changes that may indicate a chemical reaction such as persistent color changes and the appearance of a precipitate, or production of gas bubbles. The second set is a combination of solutions of sulfates (SO42-), carbonate (CO32-), oxalate (C2O42-), and iodate (IO3-) of group 2 metals, which are polyatomic anions. The first set is a combination of solutions of nitrates of group 2 metals such as barium nitrate Ba (NO3)2, calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2, magnesium nitrate Mg(NO3)2, and strontium nitrate Sr(No3)2. In this experiment, we begin by preparing two sets of solutions. The trend of alkaline earth metals losing their two outermost electrons is exhibited in the reactivity of Magnesium towards halogens and oxygen. Part 2 deals with the Metal Activity Series, specifically Metal Displacement Reactions. Part 1 deals with the Relative Solubility of Alkaline Earth Compounds. In the groups, reactivity reduces as we move downwards in the group.This study consists of two experiments for part 1 and part 2. In the periods, reactivity increases from the left to the right across the periods. In a group trend, reactivity increases down the group. For metals, reactivity decreases from the left to the right across the period. Essentially, a chemical reaction involves the transfer of electrons and interaction between electrons of various elements. Reactivity is the likelihood of an atom of an element reacting with other elements, depending on the ease with which electrons are removed using the ionization energy and the affinity they have towards the electrons of other atoms (electronegativity).

Reactivity table of elements