metal displacement reactions

Experiment                                                                                               Date

Metal Displacement Reactions

Aim:

To react several metals and solutions of their salts to determine an order of reactivity for the metals tested.

Materials:

Safety glasses and apron

Test tubes and test tube rack

Clean samples of the following metals;

   Magnesium

   Zinc

   Iron (non galvanised nails)

   Lead

   Copper

Dropper bottles containing 0.1 M solutions of the following salts:

   Magnesium sulfate

Zinc sulfate

Iron sulfate

Lead sulfate

Copper sulfate

Method:

1.    Put on safety glasses and apron.

2.    Copy the table shown below.

3.    Set up five test tubes in the test tube rack.

4.    Add approximately 1 cm of the magnesium sulfate solution to each test tube.

5.    Place a piece of each of the different metals in a different test tube.

6.    Observe and record any changes in the table.

7.    Wash out the test tubes with distilled water.

8.    Repeat steps 3 to 7 until all the salt solutions have been tested.

Results:

Conclusion:

List the metals in order from the most reactive to the least reactive. Compare this list to the one given in class

Write word equations for all the reactions that occurred.