Question 1 Medium
Copper is added to magnesium sulfate solution. What happens?
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Answer: no reaction
- Copper is less reactive than magnesium.
- So there is no reaction.
Reactivity series and extracting metals: GCSE Combined Science Chemistry practice questions
A second set of questions on reactivity series and extracting metals. They are different from the ones on the topic page. Try each, then open the answer and compare your working.
More questions
Question 2 Medium
In the reaction 2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO, which substance is oxidised?
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Answer: magnesium
- Magnesium gains oxygen.
- So magnesium is oxidised.
Question 3 Medium
Iron is added to copper sulfate solution. Name the metal that is displaced.
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Answer: copper
- Iron is more reactive than copper.
- So iron displaces copper from the solution.
Question 4 Medium
Write the word equation for zinc reacting with dilute sulfuric acid.
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Answer: zinc + sulfuric acid → zinc sulfate + hydrogen
- Metal + acid → salt + hydrogen.
- The salt from sulfuric acid is a sulfate.
Question 5 Hard
Write the ionic equation for magnesium displacing copper from copper sulfate solution. Do not use state symbols.
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Answer: Mg + Cu²⁺ → Mg²⁺ + Cu
- Sulfate ions are spectators.
- Mg + Cu²⁺ → Mg²⁺ + Cu
Question 6 Hard
Write the half equation for zinc atoms forming zinc ions, Zn → ...
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Answer: Zn → Zn²⁺ + 2e⁻
- Zinc loses two electrons.
- Zn → Zn²⁺ + 2e⁻
Question 7 Hard
Zinc oxide is heated with carbon to extract zinc. Explain why carbon can be used.
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Answer: carbon is more reactive than zinc
- Carbon is more reactive than zinc.
- So carbon can remove the oxygen from zinc oxide.
Question 8 Hard
In the thermite reaction 2Al + Fe₂O₃ → Al₂O₃ + 2Fe, what is the name for what happens to iron(III) oxide?
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Answer: reduction
- It loses oxygen.
- This is reduction.
Quick checks
Short questions with options. Choose one before you open the answer.
Check 1
Name the most reactive metal in the common series.
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Potassium.
Check 2
Which two non-metals are included in the reactivity series?
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Carbon and hydrogen.
Check 3
What do reactive metals make with cold water?
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A metal hydroxide and hydrogen.
Check 4
What do metals make with dilute acids?
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A salt and hydrogen.
Check 5
What is a displacement reaction?
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A more reactive element takes the place of a less reactive one in a compound.
Check 6
What is oxidation in terms of oxygen?
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Gain of oxygen.
Check 7
What is reduction in terms of oxygen?
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Loss of oxygen.
Check 8
What is oxidation in terms of electrons?
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Loss of electrons.
Check 9
What is reduction in terms of electrons?
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Gain of electrons.
Check 10
What does OIL RIG stand for?
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Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain, of electrons.
Check 11
How is iron extracted from its ore?
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By heating iron oxide with carbon.
Check 12
How is aluminium extracted?
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By electrolysis of the molten ore.
Check 13
Why is gold found as the metal?
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It is so unreactive that it does not form compounds.
Check 14
What is a spectator ion?
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An ion that is in the mixture but does not change in the reaction.
Check 15
What is the ionic equation when zinc displaces copper?
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Zn + Cu²⁺ → Zn²⁺ + Cu.
Check 16
Why is extraction by electrolysis expensive?
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It uses a lot of electricity.
Check 17
Where does carbon sit in the reactivity series?
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Between aluminium and zinc.
Check 18
Where does hydrogen sit in the reactivity series?
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Between iron and copper.
Check 19
What is an ore?
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A rock that contains a metal compound.
Check 20
What do you see when zinc displaces copper from copper sulfate?
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Pink-brown copper forms and the blue colour fades.
Check 21
What happens if a less reactive metal is added to a salt of a more reactive metal?
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Nothing happens, because there is no reaction.
Check 22
What does a faster stream of bubbles in acid show?
Show answer
The metal is more reactive.
Check 23
Why is carbon used to extract iron?
Show answer
It is cheap and more reactive than iron.
Check 24
Which metals are extracted by electrolysis?
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Metals more reactive than carbon, such as aluminium.
Check 25
What is reduced in the blast furnace?
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Iron(III) oxide.
Check 26
What happens in the thermite reaction?
Show answer
Aluminium displaces iron from iron(III) oxide and the iron is molten.
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