Metals & Water Explore Lab

● The orders of the metals from most reactive to least reactive are, K-Potassium Na-Sodium Ca-Calcium Mg-Magnesium Cu-Copper.

● Potassium(k) is the most reactive because when the Potassium was placed into the water it sparked a purple flame and moved rapidly across the water and then dissappeared. Sodium(Na) was the second most reactive because when it touched the water it floated across the water rapidly without any spark. Calcium(Ca) was the third most reactive because bubbled and produced a hydrogen gas and it turned the water a magenta color when the phenolphthalein was added. Magnesium(Mg) was the second least reactive because all it did was turn white and when phenolphthalein was added it was a neutral solution. The strip of magnesium also floated to the top of the distilled water. Copper was the least reactive because there was a neutral reaction. Nothing had changed the copper besides when we added the phenolphthalein the water had turned white and there was a little pink.

● Na, atomic #11
    [Ne] 3s1

    Mg, atomic #12
     [Ne] 3s2
 
    K, atomic #19
     [Ar] 4s1

     Ca, atomic #20
      [Ar] 4s1
 
      Cu, atomic #29
       [Ar] 3d10 4s1

● If zinc was added it would be placed after copper and if rubidium was added it would be placed after K, potassium, because in the periodic table the most reactive elements increase down the periodic table and decrease across.