A student investigates the reactivity of metals.
The student adds 1.0 g of a metal to 25 cm³ of copper(II) sulfate solution in a polystyrene cup.
The student measures the highest temperature rise.
The table shows the results.
| Metal | Form of metal | Temperature rise (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| copper | powder | 0 |
| iron | powder | 8 |
| magnesium | powder | 38 |
| zinc | large granules | 6 |
| metal R | powder | 21 |
Suggest why there is no temperature rise when copper is added to copper(II) sulfate solution.
Magnesium displaces copper from copper(II) sulfate solution.
Complete the word equation for this reaction.
magnesium + copper(II) sulfate → ...... + ......
Give one observation, other than a temperature rise, that shows that magnesium reacts with copper(II) sulfate solution.
The student concludes:
"The order of reactivity, starting with the most reactive, is magnesium, metal R, iron, zinc, copper."
Explain which parts of the student's conclusion are supported by the results and which are not. Use the results and your knowledge of the reactivity series.
Suggest how the student's method could be improved.
60 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Chemistry 4.1 Predicting chemical reactions, covering 4.1.1 Properties and trends in Groups 1, 7 and 0, 4.1.2 Properties of the transition metals, 4.1.3 Reactivity predicted from position in the Periodic Table, and 4.1.4 Reactivity of metals and the reactivity series. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.