Topic 8G Metal and their uses Study Guide

8Ga: Building up and metal properties

Physical change Chemical change

When no new substances are formed. When new substances are formed.
Reversible Irreversible

Physical Property Chemical Property

Describes how the substance looks Describes how a substance reacts in

on its own. a reaction.

What are the physical properties of a typical metal?

Shiny
High melting point
Malleable
Ductile
Hard/Strong
Good conductors of heat and electricity
Flexible
High density

Metals have chemical properties when reacting with other substances such
as:
Reaction with oxygen
Reaction with halogen
When metals react with oxygen such as:
Copper + Oxygen = Copper oxide;
Lithium + Oxygen = Lithium oxide.
When metals react with halogen such as:
Zinc + fluorine = Zinc fluoride
Francium + Iodine = Francium iodide
Use Metal Reason

Building frames Steel/Iron Cheap and strong

Building bridges Steel Doesn’t rust, cheap and

strong

Window frames Aluminium Light and strong

Jewelery Gold/Silver Valuable/Expensive and

shiny

Electrical wires Copper Good conductors of

electricity

Water Pipes Copper Unreactive (doesn’t

rust) and mealleable

Iron is a pure metal (element) that can be found in the periodic table. Iron is
strong, malleable, pure and it rusts. However, steel is not pure and it is a
mixture between iron and carbon; therefore, it is stronger, and doesn’t rust.
A catalyst is any substance that speeds up a chemical reaction. A catalyst
doesn’t change anything in the substances that it is fastening its process.
Zinc + sulfuric acid (react to make) zinc sulfate + hydrogen
Inside a catalyst, there are very expensive metals with small quantities such
as platinum, rhodium and palladium. We use catalysts in everyday life such
as the catalytic converter inside the car’s engine to make harmful
substances less harmful. Catalysts can be re-used more than once. A
catalytic converter is made up of a honey-comb structure, which allows the
harmful gases to pass over a large surface area of the catalyst.
 Carbon monoxide – Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen oxide – Nitrogen and oxygen
Unburnt hydrocarbon – Water
Water – Water
Carbon dioxide – Water

1. List four physical properties of a typical metal.

2. For each of the following, name the element and explain why it is
unusual: al a liquid metal bl a non-metal that conducts electricity.
3. What makes copper suitable for use in electrical wiring?
4. Iron is stronger and cheaper than copper, so why is it not used for
water pipes?
5. What is the difference between a physical and a chemical property?
6. What is a catalyst?
 7. Why are only tiny amounts of the metal catalysts used in car exhaust
systems?
8. Describe how a catalyst is used in an exhaust system. Name the
catalyst and the chemical reaction involved.
9. List five useful metals and explain why each is useful.
10. What is the difference between a physical and chemical change?
11. List the chemical properties of a most metal.
12. Complete the word equation: Magnesium + Chlorine (react to
make) __________
13. Complete the word equation: Lithium + Bromine (react to make)
___________
14. Complete the word equation: Caesium + Oxygen (react to make)
___________
15. What is the difference between iron and steel?
16. What are the three metals usually used inside a catalyst?
17. Why is the catalytic converter built in a honeycomb structure?
18. What is the use of a catalytic converter?

8Gb: Corrosion
 Corrosion Rusting
Is an oxidation
Is an oxidation
reaction when
reaction when IRON
oxygen reacts with
reacts with OXYGEN
the sruface of any
AND WATER
metals

Any Metal IRON specificely

React with oxygen React with oxugen
only and water

Aluminum is a very reactive metal that naturally forms a layer of

aluminum oxide around the piece of aluminum metal.
Metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides.
metal + oxygen → metal oxide
When a metal gains oxygen we say that is has been oxidised and
the reaction is an oxidation reaction. Some metals react quickly
with oxygen when they are heated. Some of the metals burn in a
combustion reaction. Some metals react more slowly with oxygen
at room temperature. When they react at room temperature, the
reaction is called corrosion.
1. Potassium when it react with oxygen we say it is oxidised
because it gained oxygen. Potassium will have a lilac flame
when reacting with the oxygen in the air. It will form
Potassium Oxide.
Potassium + Oxygen (react to make) Potassium Oxide
2. Sodium when it reacts with oxygen using heat to form
sodium oxide it gives a yellow flame. We say that the sodium
is oxidised because it gained oxygen. This is corrosion.
Sodium + Oxygen (react to make) Sodium Oxide
3. When magnesium reacts with oxygen in the air around us, it
forms magnesium oxide because it has been oxidized.
However, when the magnesium was heated with the oxygen
a bright white flame appeared and an ash of magnesium
oxide has been formed.
Magnesium + Oxygen (react to make) Magnesium Oxide
4. When silver and copper react with oxygen they will form a
black layer and silver will be oxidised t silver oxide (but it
corrodes slowly) and copper will be oxidised to copper oxide.
Copper + Oxygen (react to make) Copper Oxide

Iron
Iron
oxide
Rust/
Oxygen
iron
hydroxid
e
Rust
Water
Hydrogen

Silver + Oxygen (react to make) Silver Oxide

In order for rust to occur we need two factors to be present which

are water and oxygen. This can be presented as:

Iron needs water and oxygen to form rust. If we have boiled

water, this means there is no air in the water which will cause no
rust unless there is no insulation layer above the boiled water to
allow oxygen.
We have some barriers that could be added to the metal to
prevent rusting or corrosion. Such as tin, oil, plastic and paint.
These prevent the metal or iron to be exposed to the air or the
water.
Chemical formulae tells us how many atoms are in the compound
and the ratio of number of atoms form an element to another. Eg.
Titanium + Oxygen (react to make) Titanium Oxide
Ti + O2 (react to make) TiO2

1. What is the difference between corrosion and rusting?

2. What two factors are needed for rusting to occur?
3. Corrosion and rusting are types of what reaction?
4. Describe the reactivity of aluminum and how it is found.
5. What is oxidation?
6. Corrosion needs what factor?
7. What is the colour of the flame potassium does when it is
gaining oxygen?
8. What does potassium form when reacting with oxygen?
(word equation)
9. What is the colour of sodium when gaining oxygen?
10. What is the does sodium produce when reacting with
oxygen? (word equation)
11. What colour does magnesium form when it is oxidised?
12. What products are formed when magnesium reacts with
oxygen? (word equation)
13. How does silver react with oxygen?
 14. What is the colour of silver oxide?
15. What is the metal that doesn’t react with oxygen?
16. What is the word equation for rust?
17. What does boiled water contain?
18. How can we prevent rusting?
19. What is the symbol of lead and titanium and tin?
20. What is the purpose of a chemical formulae?

8Gc: Metals and Water

Metals are very reactive with water and oxygen, but not all of them will react
with both of them. Also some metals are totally unreactive such as gold (Au)
and Platinum. The left side of the periodic table as more reactive metals such
as the alkali metals in group 1.
Metal + Oxygen (react to make) Metal Oxide
Metal + Water (react to make) Metal hydroxide + hydrogen
Some metals are very reactive with cold water such as potassium or sodium;
however, some others will react slowly with cold water.

Potassium There is something called the reactivity series which displays

Sodium the most reactive metals and the unreactive metals in order.
Lithium (most reactive)
Magnesiu
m
Aluminum
Zinc
Iron
Tin
Lead
Copper
Mercury
Silver
Platinum
Gold
(unreactive)

1. Name three metals that are too reactive to use for building bridges.
2. What are the formulae for the products of the reaction between sodium
and water?
3. Describe the test for hydrogen gas.
4. Write word equations for the reactions of potassium and calcium with
water.
5. Write the following metals in order of increasing reactivity: lithium,
copper, tin, zinc.
6. Use the information in this topic to name a metal that:
A| does not react with water or oxygen
B| is more reactive than potassium
C| reacts with oxygen but not at all with water.
7. Where are the most reactive metals in the periodic table?
8. Name two metals that are unreactive.
9. Write down the reactivity series from most reactive to unreactive.
8Gd: Metals and Acids
When a metal reacts with acid, effervescence appears to occur.
Effervescence is the actions where bubble and fizzing occurs and it happens
when acid and metal reacts. Usually, an acid is much stronger than water in
reactions when comparing the reactions. During this reaction, two products
are formed. They are hydrogen gas which can be tested by a lit splint and a
salt is produced. The general word equation is:
metal + acid (react to make) salt + hydrogen
The salt formed from a reaction of a metal and an acid is either chloride,
sulfate or nitrate.

Acid Name Salt the acid forms

Hydrochloric acid Chloride salt

Nitric acid Nitrate salt

Sulfuric acid Sulfate salt

Example: Magnesium + sulfuric acid (react to make) magnesium sulfate +

hydrogen

Mg + H2SO4 (react to make) MgSO4 + H2

Acidic rain is collected in through a filter funnel. Then we add a
universal indicator to show whether the rain is acidic, alkaline
or neutral.
Acid Neutral Alkaline
R G B
O green V
red 7 blue
orange violet
pH 1-3 4-6 8-11
12-14

A magnesium ribbon is added to the acidic rain and

effervescence starts to occur which shows a reaction has taken
place. A gas is also being given off. A lit splint is used to check
if it is hydrogen or not.

When metals react in an acid and in water, we observe that

effervescence is occurring and bubble is formed. However,
bubble are more vigorous in acids than in water because acids
are much stronger than water. If we have three pieces of metal
in water and in an acid and they are the same metals, we will
find the bubbling and fizzing is more in the acidic solutions. On
the other hand, metals like copper won’t react in water and
also in acids.
Name of Metal Oxygen Water Acid
Potassium Explosive Explosive Explosive

Sodium Explosive Reacts very Explosive

quickly
Lithium Explosive Reacts quickly Explosive

Calcium Explosive Reacts quickly Reacts very

quickly
Magnesium Explosive Reacts Reacts very
quickly
Aluminium Reacts very Reacts slowly Reacts very
quickly or partially quickly
Zinc Reacts quickly Reacts slowly Reacts very
or partially quickly
Iron Reacts quickly Reacts slowly Reacts slowly
or partially
Tin Reacts Reacts slowly Reacts slowly
or partially
Lead Reacts Reacts slowly Reacts slowly
or partially
Copper Reacts No reaction No reaction

Silver Reacts No reaction No reaction

partially or
slowly
Gold No reaction No reaction No reaction