An environmental chemist investigated the relative reactivity of four unidentified metallic samples, W, X, Y, and Z, recovered from an industrial site.
To determine their reactivity, equal-sized granules of each metal were added to separate test tubes containing identical volumes and concentrations of dilute sulfuric acid at room temperature.
The observations recorded over a 10-minute period are summarised in the table below:
| Metal | Observations with dilute sulfuric acid |
|---|---|
| W | Bubbles of gas form slowly. The metal piece is only slightly smaller after 10 minutes. |
| X | No bubbles are observed, and the metal remains completely unchanged. |
| Y | Bubbles of gas form extremely rapidly with violent effervescence. The metal dissolves completely within 30 seconds. |
| Z | Bubbles of gas form at a steady rate. The metal dissolves completely after 5 minutes. |
Use the observations in the table to arrange the metals in order of their reactivity, from the most reactive to the least 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.