Explore the Reactivity Series, a fundamental concept in chemistry, ranking metals by their reactivity with water and acids. Discover how metals interact and their implications in chemical reactions. Learn more about this essential framework in chemistry. Enroll now at Tutoroot.

1. What are the Features of Reactivity Series?
The reactivity series is a periodic trend that explains how the reactivity of various elements
decreases or increases from horizontal to vertical in the modern periodic table. The first thing
you have to remember is that the reactivity is only observed in metals and not in any other
elements that are present in the periodic table. Furthermore, reactivity is also known as activity
series, and the main reason why this phenomenon is actively found in metals is that the outer
orbitals in these elements are incomplete. Thus, with very small changes, the atoms in the
elements tend to lose electrons quickly. So, metals that have high atomic numbers will be more
reactive and will be prone to losing electrons easily.
Let’s see how different metals are more reactive than others which determines their placement
on the reactivity series.
 Potassium
Potassium is considered a highly reactive metal. Potassium reacts quite violently when exposed
to other substances, including water or oxygen. This is why pure potassium is rather difficult to
find. Instead, other substances containing potassium can be found. This high reactivity level of
Potassium makes it stand on top of the reactivity series.
 Sodium
Sodium ranks after potassium on the reactivity series list. Sodium is a highly reactive metal which
is why it is not easily found in its pure form. Sodium loses its outer shell electron very readily.
This makes it a highly reactive metal.
 Calcium
In its isolated form, Calciumis considered one of the most reactive metals. When exposed to air,
calcium tends to be very reactive. It immediately forms a greyish layer of nitrate and oxide. This
happens because of the loss of electrons during the chemical reactions, placing calcium on top
of the reactivity series.
 Magnesium
Magnesium readily losses its outer shell electrons when it reacts with other substances; this is
why magnesium is considered a highly reactive metal and comes on the top of the reactivity
series.
 Zinc
The valence shell of zinc contains two electrons and zinc readily gives up those electrons during
a chemical reaction with other substances. This makes zinc relatively more reactive than other
metals such as copper and hydrogen, which lose their electron quite slowly than zinc. This
reactivity level of zinc makes it a part of the top one on the reactivity series.

2.  Iron
Iron is considered an ordinarily reactive metal. In some situations, iron is highly reactive. For
instance, when iron reacts with acids. Whereas in general, iron is relatively less reactive in
comparison to sodium and potassium. In this way, iron comes on a rather middle area on the
reactivity series.
 Hydrogen
Although hydrogen has a single electron in its valence shell, it readily loses its electron during a
chemical reaction with other substances. In this way, hydrogen is considered relatively more
reactive in some conditions and somewhat less in others. For instance, when hydrogen is left to
react with oxygen, it readily loses its valence shell electron.
 Copper
Copper does not lose its electron readily upon reaction with the other compounds; hence it is
not considered a highly reactive metal. Based on this relatively less reactive nature, copper is
placed below some metals, including iron and hydrogen, on the list of reactivity series.
 Silver
Silver is quite a less reactive metal because it tends to not lose its electron when exposed to air
or water. This is why the reactivity level of silver is quite low. On the list of reactivity series, silver
comes on quite a lower level because it is taken in the group of least reactive elements.
 Gold
Gold is considered a least reactive metal of all. It does not react readily in any given condition,
whether with oxygen, water or acid. Gold comes last on the list of reactivity series because of
being the least reactive.
Features of Reactivity Series
 Now that we have understood what reactivity series is? Let us now focus on learning the
various features of the reactivity series.
 In present metals at the top of the reactivity series, high electro-positivity is observed, which
decreases when going down the series.
 Along with this, the electron-donating capacity of metals down this series also decreases.
 Besides this, the most reactive metals in the series have the unique property of eliminating
less reactive elements from their own salts. For instance, the top metals on the list can easily
remove the low metals in the series from their salts.
 Moreover, when we go down the metal reactivity series, we can also find out that the unique
property of elements that allow them to separate hydrogen from the hydrides decreases.
 Furthermore, when metals from the reactivity series come into contact with sulfuric acid or
HCL,
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