It can also be used to obtain information on the reactivity of metals towards water and acids. In a hydrogen replacement reaction, the hydrogen in the acid is replaced by an active metal. A complete reaction will produce CO₂, and incomplete reaction will produce CO What determines whether one metal will replace another metal from a compound in a single replacement reaction? When metal atoms react with and lose electrons to water, oxygen or an acid, it tarnishes or corrodes, producing positive and negative ions. The metal higher on the activity series will replace the metal that's lower. The metal reactivity series lists metals in order of their reactivity, from highest to lowest from top to bottom. (CC BY-NC; CK-12) Some metals are so reactive that they are capable of replacing the hydrogen in water. It is used to determine the products of single displacement reactions, whereby metal A will replace another metal B in a solution if A is higher in the series. For example, magnesium metal can displace zinc ions in … In these reactions more reactive metal displaces less reactive metal … A metal listed above another metal will replace that metal in a single replacement (single displacement) reaction. 1 A piece of metal M (s) is placed in an aqueous solution of metal X ions, X + (aq). % 2. Only a more reactive element in the compound with which it reacts can replace the other element. In this experiment, a strip of metal is added to a solution of a compound of another metal. It can be represented generically as: + − − + where and are different metals (or any element that forms cation like hydrogen) and is an anion; or; and are halogens and is a cation. Metals that react with water or oxygen, found within the first class of reactive metals, are more reactive than those that need an acid to undergo a chemical reaction. Metal Displacement Reactions Tutorial Key Concepts. Activity series of some of the more common metals, listed in descending order of reactivity. Each element in the reactivity series can be replaced from a compound by any of the elements above it. Students will investigate competition reactions of metals and determine a reactivity series of the four metals used Significance and usage of reactivity series of metals: By using the reactivity series of metals, one can predict the products of displacement reaction. A single-displacement reaction, also known as single replacement reaction or exchange reaction, is a chemical reaction in which one element is replaced by another in a compound.. Once you recognize that this is a single replacement problem, determine whether the non-bonded element is a cation or anion. A chart of the reactivity series of common metals is provided below. A metal only substitutes for a metal, and a nonmetal only substitutes for a nonmetal. The reactivity series is a series of metals, in order of reactivity from highest to lowest. General representation can be written as well – A + B-C A-C + B. Remember cations can only replace cations and anions can only replace anions. It will occur if A is more reactive than B. Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Zinc metal reacts with hydrochloric acid to give off hydrogen gas in a single-displacement reaction. The data provided by the reactivity series can be used to predict whether a metal can displace another in a single displacement reaction. Sodium is our non-bonded element and it is a cation. Some metals are more reactive than others. A more active (reactive) metal will displace a less active (reactive) metal from solution. (i) If metal M is a more active metal than metal X, then metal M displaces metal … Then determine which element it will replace. A more reactive metal displaces (pushes out) a less reactive metal from its compound. 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