Chapter 13

Properties of Metals
 Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, you should be able to
 describe the general physical properties of metals

 describe an alloy and give examples of alloys

 identify representations of metals and alloys from diagrams of

structures

 explain why alloys have different physical properties to their

constituent elements
 Learning Outcomes
 place common metals in order of reactivity by reference to
reactions with water, steam, dilute hydrochloric acid and to
the reduction of their oxides by carbon and/or hydrogen

 deduce the order of reactivity from a given set of

experimental results

 relate the order of metals in the reactivity series to the

tendency of a metal to form its positive ions
 Learning Outcomes
 describe, with examples and equations, how a more reactive
metal can replace a less reactive metal from solution and
from metal oxides

 describe the action of heat on carbonates of metals and relate

thermal stability to the reactivity series
 Learning Outcomes
 describe the essential conditions for the corrosion (rusting)
of iron

 describe, with examples, the prevention of rusting using the

barrier method and by sacrificial protection
6
 What are the Physical Properties of
Metals?
 Ductile
 Malleable
 Good conductors of electricity
 Good conductors of heat
 Shiny
High melting points and boiling
points
 High density
 Tensile strength
 Alloys
 An alloy is a mixture of metallic elements.
 Some alloys also contain non-metallic elements.
 Many pure metals are too soft and weak for most uses.
 This is because the layers of atoms can slide over each other very
easily.
 Alloys
In an alloy of two metals, the
atoms have different sizes.
This disrupts the orderly layers
of atoms and makes it more
difficult for the layers to slide
over each other.
As a result, the alloy becomes
harder and stronger than the pure
metal.
Usually, only small quantities of
other elements need to be added
to a pure metal to make it much
harder and stronger.
Alloys
 Answers
Skills Practice
 1. A physical property of a substance is a property that can be observed or
measured without the substance changing into another substance. A
chemical property of a substance is a property that describes the change of
a substance into another substance.

 2. Iron rusts.

 3. For example, gold is ductile and shiny, copper is a good conductor of

electricity, iron is strong, etc.

 4. Metals are malleable. In the case of aluminium (which most drink cans are
made of), it has a low density.
 Answers
 5. (a) Alloy
(b)
What are the Chemical Properties of
Metals?
 Metals that react vigorously are generally said to be reactive
metals.
 Metals that do not react are generally said to be unreactive
metals.
 Metals have different reactivities.
Reaction with Water
Reaction with Dilute Hydrochloric
Acid
 Answers
Skills Practice
 1. The reactivity of copper with water is very low.

 2. For those metals mentioned in Table 13.2 on page 193 of the Textbook:
(a) potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium (very slightly)
(b) zinc and iron
(c) lead, copper, gold

 3. Solutions of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide are formed. These

solutions are alkalis and turn the colour of litmus from red to blue.

 4. For those metals mentioned in Table 13.3 on page 194 of the Textbook:
(a) calcium, magnesium, zinc
(b) iron, lead
(c) copper, gold
Note: Potassium and sodium are omitted from 4(a) as they react explosively
with dilute acids and these reactions should never be carried out.

 5. (a) Ba(s) + 2H2O(l) Ba(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)

(b) 2Al(s) + 6HCl(aq) 2AlCl3(aq) + 3H2(g)
 What is the Reactivity Series?
 Metals can be listed in order of their chemical reactivity.
 This order is called the reactivity series.
 The reactivity series can be used to predict what chemical
reactions, if any, will happen.
What is the Reactivity Series?
 An explanation for the metal
reactivity series
When metals react with water or
dilute hydrochloric acid, the
metal atoms lose electrons to
become ions.

The more readily a metal gives

up electrons to form ions, the
more reactive it is.

Therefore, the reactivity series is

also a measure of how readily a
metal gives up electrons to form
positive ions.
 Reactivity and the Periodic Table
The reactivity of a Group I metal
increases down the group.
The same is true for the
reactivities of the Group II
metals.
Across a period, from left to
right, the reactivity of metals
decreases.
The position of a metal in the
reactivity series is related to its
position in the Periodic Table.
 Answers
Skills Practice
 1. Caesium is at the bottom of Group I and so will be more reactive than the
other Group I metals. It would be placed at the top of the series, above
potassium.

 2. It would react vigorously and quickly with cold water.

 3. It must be near the bottom of the reactivity series, together with copper and
gold.

 4. Iron; copper; tin; silver; gold

Note: Tin and silver are very similar in reactivity and could be put together.
 Displacement of Metals
Displacement of metals from solutions
 A more reactive metal will displace the ions of any less reactive
metal in the reactivity series, from a solution.
 The displacement of metals from solution can be used to find the
position of metals in the reactivity series.
 Displacement of Metals
Displacement of metals from solutions

Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq) Cu(s) + ZnSO4(aq)

 Displacement of Metals
Displacement of metals from metal oxides
 A metal will take oxygen from the oxide of any metal below it in
the reactivity series.
 For example, when a mixture of magnesium powder and
copper(II) oxide powder is heated, there is a very vigorous
reaction with a lot of heat and light given out.
 The magnesium takes oxygen from the copper(II) oxide.
 The magnesium gives electrons to the copper(II) ions in the
copper(II) oxide as it gives up electrons more readily than
copper.

Mg(s) + CuO(s) MgO(s) + Cu(s)

 Reaction of Metal Oxides with
Carbon
At the temperature of a Bunsen burner
flame, carbon can remove oxygen from
the oxides of metals that are not too
high in the reactivity series.
At the Bunsen burner temperature,
carbon is unable to remove oxygen
from oxides of very reactive metals.
The lower the position of a metal in the
reactivity series, the easier it is for 2CuO(s) + C(s)
carbon to remove oxygen from the 2Cu(s) +
metal oxide. CO2(g)
 Reaction of Metal Oxides with
Hydrogen
 Hydrogen can remove oxygen from metallic oxides, producing
the metal and water.
 However, this reaction becomes more difficult for the more
reactive metals.
 Hydrogen cannot remove oxygen from the oxides of very
reactive metals.
 The lower the position of a metal in the reactivity series, the
easier it is for hydrogen to remove oxygen from the metal oxide.
 Heat on Metal Carbonates
 Most carbonates decompose when heated strongly.
 The products are a metal oxide and carbon dioxide gas.
 The lower the position of a metal in the reactivity series, the
easier it is for the metal carbonate to decompose when heated.
 Answers
Skills Practice
 1. A reaction takes place in (a) and (d) only.
For (a), iron will displace copper from its solution as iron is above copper in
the reactivity series.
For (b), tin will not displace magnesium from its solution as tin is below
magnesium in the reactivity series.
For (c), copper will not displace tin from its solution as copper is below
tin in the reactivity series.
For (d), magnesium will displace tin from its solution as magnesium is above
tin in the reactivity series.

 2. A reaction takes place in (a), (b) and (d).

 3. Silver carbonate will decompose very easily when warm as silver is near the
bottom of the reactivity series.
 Answers
 4. (a) Magnesium displaces copper from
(i) an aqueous solution of copper(II) ions and
(ii) copper(II) oxide.
(b) Magnesium is more reactive / higher in the reactivity series than copper.
(c) (i) Mg(s) + CuSO4(aq) MgSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
(ii) Mg(s) + CuO(s) MgO(s) + Cu(s)

 5. X, Z and Y (X is the most reactive).

 6. (a) 2PbO(s) + C(s) 2Pb(s) + CO2(g)

2ZnO(s) + C(s) 2Zn(s) + CO2(g)
(b) Lead(II) oxide is reduced more easily as lead is below zinc in the
reactivity series.

 7. Copper(II) carbonate (decomposes most easily), lead(II) carbonate,

magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate.
 What is Rusting?
 The corrosion of iron and steel is called rusting.
 The brown solid product formed during rusting is called rust.
 It is mainly hydrated iron(III) oxide, written as Fe2O3·xH2O.
How Rusting Takes Place
 Methods of Rust Prevention
Surface protection
 With this method, the surface of an object is covered with a layer
of substance.
 The layer stops the air and water from reaching the iron and steel
underneath.
 Methods of Rust Prevention
Surface protection
 The advantage of using paint, oil or grease of plastic is that they
are cheap.
 Metal plating, however, is quite expensive.
 The disadvantage of all these methods is that if the layer is
broken, air and water can reach the iron or steel.
 Then the rusting starts.
 Methods of Rust Prevention
Sacrificial protection
 If iron touches, or is covered by a more
reactive metal, little or no rusting
occurs.

 These more reactive metals react with

oxygen and water instead of the iron.

 During this process, the more reactive

metals are used up.
 Methods of Rust Prevention
Sacrificial protection
 Methods of Rust Prevention
Uses of stainless steel
 Stainless steel is an alloy of
iron containing chromium or
nickel.

 It does not rust easily.

 As chromium and nickel are

more expensive than iron,
using stainless steel is the most
expensive way to prevent
rusting.
 Answers
Skills Practice
 1. (a) The Sahara desert is very dry. Rusting occurs in the presence of water.
Hence, the lack of water means little or no rusting.
(b) As the air in Singapore is humid, both water and oxygen are present so
rusting occurs. (The warm temperatures also increase the speed of the
rusting.)
(c) There is no air or water on the moon and so no rusting.

 2. Food cans are made of iron covered with a thin layer of tin. When the
surface is scratched, the iron is exposed to air and rusting can occur.
Galvanised iron is steel coated with zinc metal. The zinc protects the iron by
corroding in place of the iron, Even if the zinc layer is broken or scratched,
and air and water reaches the iron underneath, the zinc still protects the
steel.

 3. (a) Magnesium, as it is higher in the reactivity series than zinc.

(b) Zinc is cheaper than magnesium, so it is used to completely cover the
metal sheets.
 Answers
 4. (a) Metal plating
(b) Metal plating
(c) Oil or grease
(d) Paint
(e) Use of stainless steel

 5. (a) Paint and zinc can wear off the steel and this will then result in rusting.
When the paint and zinc are worn away, they will need to be replaced.
Stainless steel tends to last forever. Also, stainless steel has an
attractive shiny appearance but paint and zinc can become dull.
(b) Stainless steel is expensive.