An aerospace materials engineer is investigating the galvanic corrosion susceptibility of various structural metals when coupled with zinc (Zn\text{Zn}Zn).
To model the galvanic cell, the engineer couples each metal with a zinc reference electrode in a 3.5%3.5\%3.5% sodium chloride electrolyte solution. The potential difference (voltage) produced by each pair is recorded in the table below:
| Metal | Symbol | Measured Potential / V\text{V}V |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | Ag\text{Ag}Ag | −1.56-1.56−1.56 |
| Magnesium | Mg\text{Mg}Mg | +1.61+1.61+1.61 |
| Zinc | Zn\text{Zn}Zn | 0.000.000.00 |
| Iron | Fe\text{Fe}Fe | −0.32-0.32−0.32 |
| Aluminium | Al\text{Al}Al | +0.90+0.90+0.90 |
Write the chemical symbols of the five metals in the table in order of reactivity, from most reactive to least reactive. Justify your answer.
5 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 4.1 Reactivity of metals, covering 4.1.1 Metal oxides, 4.1.2 The reactivity series, 4.1.3 Extraction of metals and reduction, and 4.1.4 Oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons (HT only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.