Chemical Reactivity of Metals
Purpose
❖ The purpose of this lab is to study the chemical reactivity of five different metals and
discover the periodic trend for the chemical reactivity (most reactive to least reactive) of
metals using the observations from the lab.
Hypothesis
❖ My prediction was that the metal that is farthest down and to the left on the periodic table
(Potassium) will be the most reactive and the metal farthest up and to the right on the
periodic table ( Magnesium) will be the least reactive.
Materials
❖ Pencil
❖ Paper
❖ 250 mL beaker
❖ Wire mesh
❖ Watch glass
❖ Safety glasses
❖ Scoopula
❖ Litmus Paper
❖ Phenolphthalein
❖ Magnesium
❖ Sodium
❖ Potassium
❖ Calcium
❖ Lithium
❖ Eraser
❖ Knife
❖ Tweezer
Procedure:
Firstly, make sure that the work area is clear and safe before you begin the lab. Next, fill the 250
mL beaker to 200 mL with tap water. Then, cut each metal needed into a pea size portion with
the knife provided. Then, use the provided tweezer to pick up the metal and carefully put it into
the watch glass to place it into the 250mL beaker. Carefully put the metal into the water filled
beaker and cover the beaker with wire mesh immediately to prevent any accidents or
explosions. After the metal has been placed in the 250 mL beaker, record the chemical and
physical properties of the metal and observe what was happening to the metal. Once the metal
has completely dissolved and settled, place a drop of phenolphthalein into the 250 mL beaker
and record whether the metal was acidic, basic, or neutral. Clean the 250 mL beaker and
dispose any contents of the beaker into an assigned waste disposal bin and repeat the steps to
test each metal. Remain cautious while testing each metal
Observations
Metal Comparison of
Physical
Properties
Comparison of
Chemical
Properties
Phenolphthalein
test
Acidic, Basic
or Neutral
Product
Lithium Black on the
outside, silver on
the inside, shiny
on the inside,
Solid, Lustrous,
Brittle
Moves around
quietly
reactive
Bubbling/
Sizzling
Hydrogen gas
given off
Turns pink Basic
Sodium Hard,
Dull dark grey
on the outside,
Shiny grey on
the inside
Turned into a
circle/ball
Moves fast
inside beaker
Floats on top of
water
Sizzled
Moved in star
formation
Hydrogen gas
given off
Turns purple/ pink Basic
Potassium Greenish blue
on the outside,
Purple & Pink
glow
Turns pink Basic
Very soft, Inside
is silver,
Oxidizes to Blue
like colour
Rapid reaction
Small piece to
get a strong
reaction
Dissolved very
quickly
Fizzing
Hydrogen gas
given off
Calcium Hard, Oxidizes
to white quickly,
Rock like,
Inside= White,
Outside= Silver
Sits at the
bottom first,
Breaks down
into little bubbles
Very slow
reaction
Jumps up &
down
Floats to top
Hydrogen gas
given off
Turns dark pink Basic
Magnesium Malleable,
Ductile, Silver,
Rectangular
shape
No reaction
Sinks & stays at
the bottom
Clear/ cloudy
translucent
Acidic
Conclusion
In conclusion, my hypothesis was correct. Some things that can be improved in this lab is to
have more metals to test with and other ways to check its reactivity. Also, we could use
separate beakers for the different metals, This would limit the cross contamination of the metals,
making more accurate results.
