Reactivity of Metals

Metallic element and their alloys are among our most useful materials.

1. They conduct heat and electricity.
2. They are malleable (can be pressed into shapes).
3. Their strength makes them an ideal material for use in the construction industry.

There is also much of interest to learn about their chemistry.

These are the points that this Revision Bite will cover:

1. Reaction of metals and oxygen  (General)
2. Reaction of metals and water  (General)
3. Reaction of metals and acid  (General)
4. Reactivity order  (General)
5. Stability of metal compounds  (General)
6. Extracting metals from ores  (Credit)
7. Example questions

Work through them all or jump to the one which interests you.

Some things that you might think about before you move on are:

1. In what way are metals different to non-metals?
2. Where are metal elements placed in the periodic table?
3. Can you write chemical formulae for metal salts, oxides and hydroxides?

To understand some of the explanations in this revision bite you need to know these words:

1. A Salt is an ionic compound formed when an acid reacts with a metal or is neutralised by an alkali.
2. An Alkali is a soluble substance which is able to neutralise acids.
3. Decompose - means that a compound can break up into smaller parts or into its separate elements.
4. An ore is a naturally occurring compound of a metal. Metal ores are usually Oxides, Carbonates or Sulphides.
5. State symbols are ways of representing the state that a substance is in. For example: ( s ) = solid ( l ) = liquid ( g ) = gas ( aq ) = in aqueous solution