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The use of a gas jar full of oxygen can be used to combust other metals. This
method can be used to compare different metals and their reactivity with oxygen by
observing the reaction.
Metals that react with oxygen produce oxides as their products.
Order of
Metal: Observation: Product:
reactivity:
Burns quickly with a bright yellow 1st - most Na2O, sodium peroxide
Sodium
flame. reactive. - a yellow powder.
Does not burn. Metal eventually 4th - least CuO, copper oxide - a
Copper
coats with a black layer. reactive. black powder.
Of course, other metals react with oxygen, some more than sodium, for example,
potassium. Others, such as gold, do not react at all.
Reaction of metals with water
Some metals also react with water, but like their reaction with oxygen, they react in
different ways. We can observe the reaction of metals and water by placing the
metals in a trough of cold water.
Alternatively, we can observe the difference in reaction of metals using steam (hot
water) instead of cold water.
The table below illustrates the observations taken when different metals
are placed in water:
Order of
Metal: Reaction: Products:
reactivity:
Potassiu Violent reaction with cold water. 1st - most Potassium hydroxide,
m Floats and catches fire. reactive. KOH and hydrogen gas.
Calcium hydroxide,
rd
Calcium Less vigorous with cold water. 3 . Ca(OH)2 and hydrogen
gas.
Magnesi Very slow with cold water, but Magnesium oxide, MgO
4th.
um vigorous with steam. and hydrogen gas.
7th - least
Copper No reaction with steam.
reactive.
Note: The first three in the table above produce hydroxides and the rest, if they
react, produce oxides.
The production of the hydroxide (alkali) can be tested by adding universal indicator
(UI) to the reaction vessel - UI changes from green to purple in the presence
of these hydroxides.
To test for the release of hydrogen gas, place a lighted splint over the
reacting metal - if it 'pops' then hydrogen is present.
In the case of potassium, this reaction produces enough heat to set alight the
hydrogen gas itself.
Reaction of metals with acid
Let's now look at the reaction between metals and acids to see if they can also help
distinguish difference in reactivity.
5th - least
Copper No reaction.
reactive.
If we compare the results of the reaction of metals with acid with those of
the reactions with oxygen and water, we note that the same order of
reactivity is repeated.
How to separate a solid from a liquid
Four methods are commonly used to separate a solid from a liquid:
1. Filtering
2. Evaporating
3. Crystallizing
4. Centrifuging
Filtering
If your solid does not dissolve in water, for example chalk, then you can separate
the solid from the liquid by filtering the suspension through filter paper.
In this example the chalk that remains on the filter paper is called the residue. The
water (the substance) that passes through the filter paper is called the filtrate.
Evaporating
If your mixture is a solution, such as salty water, then filtering will not separate the
salt from the water.
Instead, by heating the soluton the solvent (water) evaporates leaving the solid
(salt) behind. This is possible since the two substances have different
boiling points.
Centrifuging
The solution is heated in the round-bottomed flask. As it boils, steam rises into the
condenser (this cools the steam back to water). Eventually the salt (solute) is left
behind. The water collected in the beaker is called distilled water.
How to separate two liquids
Fractional distillation
If two liquids are miscible (i.e. they mix together well), they can be separated using
this apparatus.
For example: to separate a mixture of ethanol and water.
Since, ethanol boils at 78oC and water at 100oC, then by gradually heating the
mixture, ethanol and water vapour rises up the column making the glass beads hot
as they condense on them.
Once the beads are 78oC, the ethanol vapour is forced into the condenser, whilst the
water vapour continues to condense and drip back into the flask. Mean while the
ethanol, now in the condenser, condenses and drips into the beaker as liquid
ethanol.
Separating funnel
If two liquids are immiscible, then a separating funnel is used.
For example: If you pour a mixture of oil and water into the funnel, the oil floats on
top of the water. All that is left to do is for the tap to be opened to allow the water to
pour through. The tap is closed once all the water has passed.
How to separate a mixture of coloured substances
Paper chromatography
For example: separating the coloured substances in black ink - the apparatus
below could be used.
1. A small drop of black ink is placed into the centre of the filter paper.
2. Water is then dropped onto the ink.
3. The ink slowly spreads out, separating into rings of different colours.
4. The filter paper with its coloured rings is called a chromatogram.
5. The coloured substance furthest from the original black ink spot is the most
soluble.
Flame tests
Metals change the colour of a flame when they are heated in it. Different metals give different
colours to the flame, so flame tests can be used to identify the presence of a particular metal in
a sample. This is how you would carry out a typical flame test:
1. dip a clean flame test loop in the sample solution
2. hold the flame test loop at the edge of a bunsen burner flame
3. observe the changed colour of the flame, and decide which metal it indicates
4. clean the loop in acid and rinse with water, then repeat steps 1 to 3 with a new
sample
Different colours
Some common metals and their flame test colours
metal flame test colour
calcium yellow-red
copper green-blue
lithium red
sodium orange
potassium lilac
Example
Flame tests are useful for confirming the results of a precipitate test. For example, an unknown
solution that produced a pale blue precipitate with sodium hydroxide solution, and a green-blue
flame test, must contain a copper compound.
To identify an alkali metal, a flame test must be used instead of a sodium hydroxide precipitate
test. This is because the alkali metals do not form precipitates with sodium hydroxide
iron(III) orange-brown
zinc white
Example
How could you tell if an unknown substance contained iron(II) nitrate or iron(III) nitrate? You
would add a few drops of sodium hydroxide solution. If you got a dark green precipitate it would
show that the unknown substance was iron(II) nitrate; if you got an orange-brown precipitate it
would show that the unknown substance was iron(III) nitrate.
Note that it is the metal that determines the colour. So you would get the same result whether
you used zinc chloride or zinc nitrate - a white precipitate in this example.