A student investigated the reactivity of four different metals, P, Q, R and S.
Each metal was added to a separate test tube containing the same volume and concentration of dilute hydrochloric acid. The pieces of metal were all of the same size and shape.
The student recorded observations over a five-minute period.
The observations are shown in the table below.
| Metal | Observations with dilute hydrochloric acid |
|---|---|
| P | No bubbles observed. The metal looks completely unchanged after five minutes. |
| Q | Bubbles formed extremely rapidly. The metal dissolved completely within one minute. |
| R | Bubbles formed slowly. Most of the metal was still visible after five minutes. |
| S | Bubbles formed fast. The metal had completely dissolved after four minutes. |
Use the information in the table to place the metals in order of reactivity, from the least reactive to the most reactive.
110 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 5.1 Obtaining and using metals, covering 5.1.1 The reactivity series of metals, 5.1.2 Displacement reactions as redox reactions, 5.1.3 Extracting metals from ores by reduction, 5.1.4 Biological methods of metal extraction, 5.1.5 Resistance to oxidation and recycling metals, and 5.1.6 Life cycle assessment. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.