CORRELATION BETWEEN THE REACTIVITY OF

METALS AND THE TIME OF DISCOVERY

Juan Fernando Polanco 8A

CONTENTS OBJECTIVE DEFINITIONS DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS

METALS LET’S FIND THE PATTERN SUMMARY BIBLIOGRAPHY

OBJECTIVETo explain the relationship between the reactivity of a metal and the time when it was discovered

DEFINITIONS Reactivity of a metal: The reaction level of a

metal is measured by many different tests. They see how it reacts with water, acids and they also do many single displacement with the ores of many metals

Isolation of metals: Isolating a metal is when you purify the metal. When they are dug up they are usually combined with oxides and sulphides. So isolation is removing the unwanted compounds

POTASSIUM Name: Potassium Symbol: K Atomic number: 19 Atomic weight: 39.0983 (1) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 1 Group name: Alkali metal Color: silvery white Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1807 by Humphry Davy 2

SODIUM Name: Sodium Symbol: Na Atomic number: 11 Atomic weight: 22.98976928 (2) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 1 Group name: Alkali metal Color: silvery white Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1807 by Humphry Davy 3

LITHIUM Name: Lithium Symbol: Li Atomic number: 3 Atomic weight: 6.941 (2) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 1 Group name: Alkali metal Colour: silvery white/grey Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1800 by José Bonifácio de Andrade Silva 4

CALCIUM Name: Calcium Symbol: Ca Atomic number: 20 Atomic weight: 40.078 (4) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 2 Group name: Alkaline earth metal Colour: silvery white Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1808 by Humphry Davy 5

MAGNESIUM Name: Magnesium Symbol: Mg Atomic number: 12 Atomic weight: 24.3050 (6) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 2 Group name: Alkaline earth metal Colour: silvery white Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1808 by Humphry Davy 6

ALUMINIUM Name: Aluminium Symbol: Al Atomic number: 13 Atomic weight: 26.9815386 (8) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 13 Group name: (none) Colour: silvery Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1808 by Humphry Davy 7

ZINC Name: Zinc Symbol: Zn Atomic number: 30 Atomic weight: 65.38 (2) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 12 Group name: (none) Colour: bluish pale grey Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1746 8

IRON Name: Iron Symbol: Fe Atomic number: 26 Atomic weight: 55.845 (2) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 8 Group name: (none) Colour: lustrous, metallic, grayish tinge Classification: Metallic Discovery: ~2000BC 9

TIN Name: Tin Symbol: Sn Atomic number: 50 Atomic weight: 118.710 (7) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 14 Group name: (none) Colour: silvery lustrous grey Classification: Metallic Discovery: ~3000BC 10

LEAD Name: Lead Symbol: Pb Atomic number: 82 Atomic weight: 207.2 (1) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 14 Group name: (none) Colour: bluish white Classification: Metallic Discovery: Around 6400 BC not sure 11

COPPER Name: Copper Symbol: Cu Atomic number: 29 Atomic weight: 63.546 (3) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 11 Group name: Coinage metal Colour: copper, metallic Classification: Metallic Discovery: Around 9000 BC not sure 12

SILVER Name: Silver Symbol: Ag Atomic number: 47 Atomic weight: 107.8682 (2) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 11 Group name: Coinage metal Colour: silver Classification: Metallic Discovery: ~ 5000 BC 13

GOLD Name: Gold Symbol: Au Atomic number: 79 Atomic weight: 196.966569 (4) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 11 Group name: Coinage metal Colour: gold Classification: Metallic Discovery: ~ 5000 BC 14

PLATINUM Name: Platinum Symbol: Pt Atomic number: 78 Atomic weight: 195.084 (9) Standard state: solid at 298 K Group in periodic table: 10 Group name: Precious metal or platinum group metal Colour: grayish white Classification: Metallic Discovery: 1735 Antonio de Ulloa 15

LET’S FIND THE PATTERN Since very reactive metals are harder to

extract, it is unsurprising that they remained not extracted, and hence undiscovered, for a greater length of time (1)

If you look at those metals which are less reactive, like gold, silver copper, they were all found long time ago that is because they are not very reactive so it is easier to isolate them

LET’S FIND THE PATTERN For example you can find gold as nuggets laying

around and you don’t need to extract it But potassium is harder to find you would need

to extract it from a compound of the pure metal, oxides and sulphides

That is because such reactive metals are found in components and so in order to get the metal you need isolate it from the other element, and to do this process you must use a more reactive metal which will take away the electrons and separate the metal from the element

SUMMARY So the relationship between the

reactivity of a metal and when it was discovered is, that the more reactive a metal is, the longer it takes to discover because its combined with to form a compound and its harder to extract than those which are not as reactive and would rather be easier to extract or would be laying around like gold.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING

Link to wiki: http://juanblue.qataracademy.wikispaces.net/Science+8

BIBLIOGRAPHY1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3935955 2. http://www.webelements.com/potassium/ 3. http://www.webelements.com/sodium/ 4. http://www.webelements.com/lithium/5. http://www.webelements.com/calcium/ 6. http://www.webelements.com/magnesium/7. http://www.webelements.com/aluminium/ 8. http://www.webelements.com/zinc/ 9. http://www.webelements.com/iron/ 10. http://www.webelements.com/tin/ 11. http://www.webelements.com/lead/ 12. http://www.webelements.com/copper/13. http://www.webelements.com/silver/ 14. http://www.webelements.com/gold/ 15. http://www.webelements.com/platinum/