CHAPTER 5: REACTIVITY
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which metals react vigorously with cold water to form a hydroxide?
a) Iron
b) Zinc
c) Calcium
d) Potassium
2. Which metal does not react with oxygen, water, or dilute acid?
a) Magnesium
b) Zinc
c) Silver
d) Sodium
3. Which of the following metals burns brightly when heated in air?
a) Iron
b) Magnesium
c) Zinc
d) Copper
4. What is formed when sodium reacts with oxygen?
a) A chloride
b) A hydroxide
c) An oxide
d) A carbonate
5. Which metal reacts with steam but not with cold water?
a) Magnesium
b) Copper
c) Iron
d) Zinc+
Section B: Short Answer Questions
6. Explain why gold does not react with oxygen, water, or dilute acid.
It is very unreactive, known as inert.
7. Describe the reaction of calcium with water. What is the product formed?
Hydroxide and hydrogen
8. Compare the reaction of zinc with oxygen and with water.
Oxygen: forms oxide
Water: forms hydroxide
9. What happens when potassium reacts with dilute acid? Why is it dangerous?
It is very reactive and might cause an explosion.
10. Why does iron react with steam but not with cold water?
Iron is not very reactive so it can react with steam.
Section C: Application-Based Questions
11. A student places a small piece of magnesium in cold water and observes no reaction. They then heat the
magnesium in steam and see a reaction. Explain why this happens.
There is energy to start the reaction.
12. If a piece of copper is placed in hydrochloric acid, will a reaction occur? Explain your answer.
Yes, it reacts because Copper is not inert.
13. Arrange the following metals in their reactivity from highest to lowest: Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and Sodium.
Sodium, calcium, zinc, iron
14. Predict what would happen if a small piece of gold were placed in acid.
It would not react.
15. Based on the table, why is sodium stored in oil?
If it exposed to air, it will react with oxygen in the air and become dull.
Section 4: Salts and Their Formation
1. What is a salt, and how is it formed?
Salt is a product of an acid reacting with a metal. It forms when a metal reacts with acid.
2. What are the three most commonly used types of salts?
Sodium chloride
Magnesium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate
3. Write the general equation for the reaction between a metal and an acid.
Metal + acid salt + hydrogen
4. Write the word equations for:
a) A metal oxide reacting with an acid.
Metal oxide + acid = salt + water
b) A metal carbonate reacting with an acid.
Metal carbonate + acid = salt + water + carbon dioxide
5. What is neutralization?
When an acid an alkali reaches a pH of 7.
6. What type of substances can be used to form alkalis?
Hydroxide and oxide
Section 5: Chemical Reactions and the Law of Conservation of Mass
8. What happens to atoms during a chemical reaction?
They form and break bonds to react with each other.
9. What is the law of conservation of mass state?
Law of conservation of mass is the energy input is equals to energy output.
10. If a student reacts calcium carbonate with hydrochloric acid and notices a loss of mass, what could explain
this?
This reaction will form carbon dioxide, which might dissipate into the surroundings, resulting in loss
of mass.
11. Why does the mass of the end products in a reaction between magnesium and oxygen increase compared to
the initial mass?
Magnesium and oxygen will form a bond together, adding their mass.
Section 6: Chemical Reactions and Energy
12. Define exothermic and endothermic reactions.
Exothermic: heat is released
Endothermic: heat is absorbed
13. How does the law of conservation of energy apply to chemical reactions?
The mass input = mass output
No atom is created/destroyed in a chemical reaction
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which metals react vigorously with cold water to form a hydroxide?
o Your answer: d) Potassium ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Potassium reacts violently with water, forming potassium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
2. Which metal does not react with oxygen, water, or dilute acid?
o Your answer: c) Silver ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Silver is very unreactive and does not corrode or react with dilute acids under normal
conditions.
3. Which of the following metals burns brightly when heated in air?
o Your answer: b) Magnesium ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Magnesium burns with a bright white flame when heated in air, forming magnesium
oxide.
4. What is formed when sodium reacts with oxygen?
o Your answer: c) An oxide ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Sodium reacts with oxygen to form sodium oxide (Na₂O).
5. Which metal reacts with steam but not with cold water?
o Your answer: d) Zinc ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Zinc does not react with cold water but reacts with steam to form zinc oxide and
hydrogen gas.
Section B: Short Answer Questions
6. Explain why gold does not react with oxygen, water, or dilute acid.
o Your answer: It is very unreactive, known as inert. ✅ Correct
7. Describe the reaction of calcium with water. What is the product formed?
o Your answer: Hydroxide and hydrogen ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Calcium reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
8. Compare the reaction of zinc with oxygen and with water.
o Your answer:
Oxygen: Forms oxide ✅ Correct
Water: Forms hydroxide ❌ Incorrect
o Correction: Zinc reacts with steam (not cold water) to form zinc oxide and hydrogen gas, not
hydroxide.
9. What happens when potassium reacts with dilute acid? Why is it dangerous?
o Your answer: It is very reactive and might cause an explosion. ✅ Correct
o Explanation: Potassium is too reactive to be used with acids, as it reacts explosively.
10. Why does iron react with steam but not with cold water?
Your answer: Iron is not very reactive so it can react with steam. ❌ Partially Incorrect
Correction: Iron is less reactive than some metals but requires heat (steam) to react, forming iron oxide and
hydrogen gas.
Section C: Application-Based Questions
11. Why does magnesium react with steam but not cold water?
Your answer: There is energy to start the reaction. ✅ Correct but needs more explanation.
Improved answer: Magnesium does not react with cold water, but when heated in steam, it has enough
energy to react and form magnesium oxide and hydrogen gas.
12. If a piece of copper is placed in hydrochloric acid, will a reaction occur?
Your answer: Yes, it reacts because copper is not inert. ❌ Incorrect
Correction: Copper is very unreactive and does not react with dilute hydrochloric acid.
13. Arrange the following metals in order of their reactivity from highest to lowest: Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and
Sodium.
Your answer: Sodium, calcium, zinc, iron ✅ Correct
14. Predict what would happen if a small piece of gold were placed in acid.
Your answer: It would not react. ✅ Correct
15. Why is sodium stored in oil?
Your answer: If it is exposed to air, it will react with oxygen in the air and become dull. ✅ Correct but needs
more explanation.
Improved answer: Sodium is highly reactive with oxygen and water, so it is stored in oil to prevent dangerous
reactions that could lead to fire or explosion.
Section 4: Salts and Their Formation
1. What is a salt, and how is it formed?
o Your answer: Salt is a product of an acid reacting with a metal. It forms when a metal reacts with
acid. ✅ Correct but incomplete.
o Improved answer: A salt is a compound formed when the hydrogen in an acid is replaced by a metal
or ammonium ion. It can form from reactions between acids and metals, metal oxides, metal
carbonates, or alkalis.
2. What are the three most commonly used types of salts?
o Your answer:
Sodium chloride ✅ Correct
Magnesium nitrate ❌ Incorrect
Ammonium nitrate ❌ Incorrect
o Correction: Common salts include sodium chloride, potassium nitrate, and calcium sulfate.
3. Write the general equation for the reaction between a metal and an acid.
o Your answer: Metal + acid → salt + hydrogen ✅ Correct
4. Write the word equations for:
o a) A metal oxide reacting with an acid.
Your answer: Metal oxide + acid = salt + water ✅ Correct
o b) A metal carbonate reacting with an acid.
Your answer: Metal carbonate + acid = salt + water + carbon dioxide ✅ Correct
5. What is neutralization?
o Your answer: When an acid and an alkali reach a pH of 7. ❌ Incorrect
o Correction: Neutralization is a chemical reaction between an acid and a base (alkali or carbonate)
to form salt and water. The pH moves toward 7, but it may not always be exactly 7.
6. What type of substances can be used to form alkalis?
o Your answer: Hydroxide and oxide ✅ Correct
Section 5: Chemical Reactions and the Law of Conservation of Mass
8. What happens to atoms during a chemical reaction?
o Your answer: They form and break bonds to react with each other. ✅ Correct
9. What does the law of conservation of mass state?
o Your answer: Law of conservation of mass is the energy input equals energy output. ❌ Incorrect
o Correction: The law states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction; the
total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.
10. Why does mass decrease when calcium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid?
Your answer: This reaction will form carbon dioxide, which might dissipate into the surroundings, resulting
in loss of mass. ✅ Correct
11. Why does the mass increase when magnesium reacts with oxygen?
Your answer: Magnesium and oxygen will form a bond together, adding their mass. ✅ Correct
Section 6: Chemical Reactions and Energy
12. Define exothermic and endothermic reactions.
Your answer:
o Exothermic: heat is released ✅ Correct
o Endothermic: heat is absorbed ✅ Correct
13. How does the law of conservation of energy apply to chemical reactions?
Your answer:
o The mass input = mass output ❌ Incorrect
o No atom is created/destroyed in a chemical reaction ✅ Correct
Correction: The total energy before and after a reaction remains constant, though it may be converted into
different forms (heat, light, etc.).