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Chemistry Stoody Guide

Activity Series

  1. Predict the thermodynamic favorability of single displacement reactions from an activity series
  2. Use experimental data to construct an activity series

Constructing An Activity Series

Given a list of single displacement reactions, we can construct an activity series of the metals involved. A reaction occuring means that the reaction is thermochemically favorable, and the metal that is oxidized (the solo element) is more reactive than the metal that is reduced (therefore higher on the series).

Using An Activity Series

  • An element being highly reactive means that salt formed from that compound is not reactive.

  • When provided with a single displacement reaction, consult the activity series to see if the reaction is possible (thermodynamically favorable).

  • Note that elements with higher reactivity tend to be alkali/alkaline earth metals, and elements with lower reactivity tend to be transition metals.