Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13

9F: Reactivity

Name: Class:
Q1. (a) The table below shows the melting points of four metals.

melting point,
metal
in °C
gold 1064

mercury –37

sodium 98

iron 1540

(i) Which metal in the table has the highest melting point?

............................................................
1 mark

(ii) Which metal in the table has the lowest melting point?

............................................................
1 mark

(b) Gold can be a gas or a liquid or a solid.

Choose from these words to fill the gaps below.

When gold is heated from room temperature to 1070°C, the gold

changes from a ................................. to a ................................... .

1 mark

(c) 5 g of gold is melted and all of it is poured into a mould to make a pendant as shown
below.

What is the mass of the gold pendant?

........................... g
1 mark
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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(d) The table below shows how the four metals react with oxygen when heated in air.

reaction when
metal
heated in air
gold no change
slowly forms a
mercury
red powder
bursts into flames
sodium
straight away
very slowly turns
iron
black

(i) Which is the most reactive metal in the table?

............................................................
1 mark

(ii) Which is the least reactive metal in the table?

............................................................
1 mark
Maximum 6 marks

Q2. (a) Ruth put a piece of a different metal in each of four test tubes.

She poured 10 cm3 of hydrochloric acid onto each metal.

Look at the diagrams above.

(i) How do these show if a metal reacts with the acid?

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(ii) On the lines below, put the four metals in the order of how strongly they
react with the acid.

most reactive ..................................

..................................

..................................

least reactive ..................................

1 mark

(b) Choose the name of a metal from the box below to answer each question.

copper iron magnesium zinc

(i) Which metal from the box is used for electrical wires?

...................................................
1 mark

(ii) Which metal from the box goes rusty?

...................................................
1 mark
maximum 4 marks

Q3. Joanne added iron filings to copper sulphate solution. She observed the reaction after one
week.

(a) What evidence in the diagrams shows that a chemical reaction has taken place?

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) The reaction between iron and copper sulphate is a displacement reaction.

(i) Give the name of the orange metal visible after one week.

.................................................
1 mark

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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(ii) What is the name of the compound formed in this reaction?

.................................................
1 mark

(iii) Joanne poured the green solution into another test tube. She added some
copper pieces to the solution.

Will a displacement reaction occur?

yes no

Explain your answer.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Part of the reactivity series of metals is shown below.

Use the information above.

Which two metals would react with aluminium nitrate in a displacement reaction?

Tick the two correct boxes.

calcium potassium

zinc lead
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

4
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
Q4. Marie mixed 5 g of carbon with 5 g of lead oxide.
She heated the mixture strongly for 15 minutes in a fume cupboard.

After 15 minutes, Marie found some shiny beads in the mixture.

(a) (i) Marie collected all the shiny beads from this experiment.
How could she test them to show they were metal?

……………..……………………………….…………………..……….……

……………..……………………………….…………………..……….……
1 mark

(ii) Marie’s test showed that the tiny beads were metal.
What metal were the beads likely to be?

……………..……………………………….…………………..……….……
1 mark

(b) Marie also expected carbon dioxide to be formed in this experiment.

(i) In carbon dioxide, what element is combined with carbon?

……………..…………….……
1 mark

(ii) Where, apart from the air, did this element come from in this experiment?

……………..…………….……
1 mark

(c) Give one safety precaution Marie should take during this experiment.

……………..……………………………….…………………..……………………

……………..……………………………….…………………..……………………
1 mark
Maximum 5 marks

5
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
Q5. A long time ago sulphuric acid was made by heating a substance called blue vitriol.
The equations below show how sulphuric acid is produced by this method.

blue vitriol copper oxide + sulphur trioxide + water

sulphur trioxide + water sulphuric acid

(a) Name three elements contained in blue vitriol.

1. ...........................................................

2. ...........................................................

3. ...........................................................
3 marks

(b) (i) Anton Lavoisier was a scientist. He made acids by dissolving oxides like
sulphur oxide and nitric oxide in water. They formed two acids; sulphuric acid
and nitric acid. From this, he concluded:

The formulas for these two acids are H2SO4 and HNO3.
How do these formulas support Lavoisier’s conclusion about acids?

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Some time after Lavoisier’s death, hydrochloric acid was identified.
The formula for hydrochloric acid is HCI.

Explain why scientists no longer supported Lavoisier’s conclusion about acids.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(c) Scientists now agree that all acids contain hydrogen.
Look at the two word equations below.

zinc + sulphuric acid zinc sulphate + hydrogen

magnesium + nitric acid magnesium nitrate + hydrogen

(i) Explain how these equations support the suggestion that acids contain
hydrogen.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Complete the equation below for the reaction between iron and hydrochloric
acid.

iron + hydrochloric acid ............................ + ............................

1 mark
maximum 7 marks

Q6. Shuli investigated differences between physical and chemical changes.

She put three chemicals in separate crucibles and weighed each one.
She heated each crucible as shown below.
She weighed each crucible again when it had cooled down.

She recorded her observations in a table as shown below.

experiment name of chemical observations change in

mass

A magnesium The silvery magnesium increase

(a silvery solid) burned brightly in air.
A white powder was
formed.

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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
B potassium The purple crystals decrease
permanganate crackled and turned black.
(purple crystals) A colourless gas was
given off.

C zinc oxide The white powder turned no change

(a white powder) pale yellow on heating.
It turned white again on
cooling.

(a) (i) In experiment A, magnesium reacts with a gas in the air.

Complete the word equation for the reaction in experiment A.

magnesium + ............................................ → ............................................

2 marks

(ii) Explain the increase in mass in experiment A. Use your word equation to help
you.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) The gas given off in experiment B re-lit a glowing splint.

Give the name of this gas.

................................................................
1 mark

(c) Name the white powder left at the end of experiment C.

..................................................................
1 mark

(d) In each experiment, did a chemical change or a physical change take place?
Tick one box for each experiment.

experiment chemical change physical change

C
1 mark
Maximum 6 marks

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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
Q7. The flow chart shows how zinc sulphate can be obtained.

(a) In the reaction zinc oxide → zinc an element is removed from zinc oxide to
leave zinc. Give the name of the element.

........................................................
1 mark

(b) (i) Zinc sulphate can be made in a reaction between zinc and an acid.
Give the name of the acid.

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) In the reaction between zinc and the acid, hydrogen is formed.
Describe the test for hydrogen and the result if hydrogen is present.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(iii) How can crystals of zinc sulphate be formed from a dilute solution of
zinc sulphate?

.............................................................................................................
1 mark
Maximum 4 marks

Q8. (a) Magnesium chloride is formed when magnesium reacts with an acid.

(i) Complete the word equation for the reaction between magnesium and this
acid.

magnesium + ...............................→ + ...............................

2 marks

(ii) Suggest why magnesium chloride can be made by mixing magnesium with this
acid but copper chloride cannot be made by mixing copper with this acid.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Copper sulphate is made by adding copper oxide to a different acid.

Give the name of the acid which is used.

..............................................................
1 mark
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Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(c) In the table below, write the name of the compound represented by each formula.

formula name

CuSO4

MgCl2
2 marks
Maximum 6 marks

Q9. Magnesium burns in air giving a very bright light.

(a) Complete the word equation below to show this reaction.

magnesium + ............................................. → ...........................................

1 mark

The diagram shows four gas-jars. Each contains a different gas. Burning
magnesium is put into each jar.

(b) In one of the gas-jars, the magnesium goes out immediately.

Name the gas in this jar.

............................................................
1 mark

Explain your answer.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark
Maximum 3 marks

10
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
Q10. (a) Sasha placed small samples of four different metals on a spotting tile.
She added drops of calcium nitrate solution to each metal.

Sasha repeated the experiment with:

• fresh samples of the four metals and copper nitrate solution

• fresh samples of the four metals and iron nitrate solution.

Will a reaction take place when each of the metals is added to each of
the solutions?
Use the reactivity series below to help you.

most reactive calcium

magnesium
aluminium
zinc
iron
lead
least reactive copper

In the table below:

• place a tick, , to show that a reaction took place

• place a cross, X, to show that no reaction took place.

Two have been done for you.

metal
salt solution
copper iron magnesium zinc

calcium nitrate

copper nitrate X

iron nitrate X
3 marks

11
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(b) Three pairs of chemicals are listed below.
A reaction only takes place with two of the pairs.

Draw a line from each reaction to the correct result.

Draw only three lines.

2 marks
maximum 5 marks

Q11.
A group of pupils placed pieces of metal wire in different salt solutions.
They recorded their observations in the table below.

12
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
(a) From these observations, write the order of reactivity of the four metals, copper,
lead, silver and zinc.

most reactive ................................................

................................................

................................................

least reactive ................................................

2 marks

(b) The pupils then dipped a new piece of each of the metal wires into dilute
hydrochloric acid.

Only one of the metals reacted. Which metal was this?

.....................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) One pupil predicted that there would be no reaction when he put a piece of zinc wire
into a solution of silver nitrate.

Was his prediction correct? Explain your answer.

.....................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) In nature, gold is never found combined with other elements.

Where should gold be placed in the reactivity series in part (a)?

Explain your answer.

.....................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................
1 mark
Maximum 5 marks

Q12. A student was trying to extract the metals from lead oxide and aluminium oxide.
She heated each oxide with carbon in a fume cupboard as shown below.

13
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
She was able to extract lead from lead oxide but not aluminium from aluminium oxide.

(i) Explain the results of these experiments.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

(ii) Complete this word equation for the reaction between lead oxide and carbon.

lead oxide + carbon → .................................... + .......................................

(Total 5 marks)

Q13. Many metals have to be extracted from compounds called ores.

(a) The table shows a reactivity series.

Reactivity Material

Most reactive potassium

sodium

magnesium

aluminium

carbon

zinc

lead

hydrogen

copper

Least reactive gold

14
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
Use the information in the table to help you answer the questions.

(i) Give the method used to extract sodium from its ore.

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Name one metal in the table that can be extracted by heating the ore with
carbon.

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(iii) Copper can be extracted by heating the ore with hydrogen.

Use the table to explain why.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Iron is made by heating iron ore (iron oxide, Fe2O3) with carbon monoxide (CO) in a
blast furnace.

(iii) The production of iron from iron ore involves both oxidation reactions and
reduction reactions. Explain why.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

15
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a) (i) iron
do not accept ‘1540°C’
1 (L3)

(ii) mercury
do not accept ‘–37°C’
1 (L3)

(b) solid to a liquid

answers must be in the correct order
both answers are required for the mark
1 (L3)

(c) 5
1 (L3)

(d) (i) sodium

1 (L3)

(ii) gold
1 (L3)
[6]

Q2.
(a) (i) any one from

• bubbles

• fizzing
accept ‘effervescence’

• gas is given off

‘metal goes into solution or turns into a salt’
and ‘there would be a rise in temperature’
are insufficient answers as they are
not shown in the drawings
1 (L3)

(ii) • magnesium
accept ‘Mg’

• zinc
accept ‘Zn’

• iron
accept ‘Fe’

• copper
accept ‘Cu’
16
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
answers must be in the correct order
all four answers are required for the mark
1 (L4)

(b) (i) • copper

accept ‘Cu’
1 (L3)

(ii) • iron
accept ‘Fe’
1 (L4)
[4]

Q3.
(a) any one from

• there is a colour change

accept ‘it goes green or orange’
‘the colour’ is insufficient

• a new metal is formed

accept ‘the iron filings change colour’
1 (L5)

(b) (i) copper

accept ‘Cu’
1 (L5)

(ii) iron sulphate

accept ‘FeSO4’
1 (L6)

(iii) • no

any one from

• iron is more reactive than copper

accept ‘iron is higher on the reactivity series’

• copper is less reactive than iron

accept ‘copper does not displace iron’
both an indication that the reaction does not happen
and the explanation are required for the mark
1 (L6)

(c) • calcium
potassium
if more than two boxes are ticked, award no mark
both answers are required for the mark
1 (L6)
[5]

17
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13

Q4.
(a) (i) any one from

• test them in a circuit

• see if they conduct electricity

• add acid to see if hydrogen is produced

1 (L5)

(ii) lead
accept ‘malleable’ or ‘ductile’
1 (L5)

(b) (i) oxygen

1 (L5)

(ii) lead oxide

accept ‘the oxide’
accept ‘the mixture’
do not accept ‘plants’
1 (L6)

(c) any one from

• wear goggles
accept any other appropriate safety measure

• wear a lab coat

• use a heat-proof mat

• tie her hair back

do not accept ‘use a fume cupboard’
1 (L5)
[5]

Q5.
(a) any three from

• copper

• oxygen

• sulphur

• hydrogen
accept chemical symbols
‘Cu’
‘O’
‘S’
18
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
‘H’
do not accept ‘O2’ or H2’
3 (L6)

(b) (i) • they both contain oxygen

accept ‘they both have O in them’
do not accept ‘they have O2 in them’
1 (L6)

(ii) any one from

• hydrochloric acid does not contain oxygen

accept ‘it does not contain oxygen’
‘he was wrong’ is insufficient

• hydrochloric acid is not formed from oxygen

accept ‘not all acids contain oxygen’
accept ‘no oxygen’
1 (L6)

(c) (i) any one from

• they both produce hydrogen (when they react with metals)

• different metals produce the same gas

accept ‘there is hydrogen left at the end’
‘they contain hydrogen’ is insufficient
‘hydrogen is in the equation’ is insufficient
1 (L6)

(ii) • iron chloride

hydrogen
accept ‘FeCl2’ or ‘FeCl3’ or ‘Cl2Fe’
accept ‘H2’
both answers are required for the mark
answers may be in either order
do not accept ‘iron + chloride’
1 (L6)
[7]

Q6.
(a) (i) magnesium + oxygen → magnesium oxide
do not accept formulae
2 (L6)

(ii) any one from

do not accept ‘air’ for oxygen

• the oxygen had mass

• oxygen was added to the magnesium

accept ‘magnesium has gained an element’

19
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
• the magnesium has reacted with oxygen
accept ‘magnesium is now part of a compound’
1 (L6)

(b) oxygen
accept ‘O2’
1 (L5)

(c) zinc oxide

accept ‘ZnO’
1 (L6)

(d)
chemical change physical change

all three ticks are required for the mark

1 (L6)
[6]

Q7.
(a) oxygen
1 (L6)

(b) (i) sulphuric acid

do not accept ‘oxide’
1 (L6)

(ii) use a burning splint which lights the hydrogen or makes it go pop
accept ‘it goes pop when lit’
do not accept ‘use a glowing splint’
1 (L6)

(iii) the mark is for concentrating the solution, or for

a process which leads to crystallisation occurring

any one from

• warm it or heat it gently

do not accept ‘heat it’

• leave it to stand
accept ‘leave by the window’

• let the water evaporate

• make it more concentrated

do not accept ‘heat it until all the water

20
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
has gone’ or ‘heat until dry’
1 (L6)
[4]

Q8.
(a) (i) magnesium + hydrochloric acid →
1 (L7)

→ magnesium chloride + hydrogen

do not accept ‘hydrogen chloride’
do not accept formulae
1 (L7)

(ii) magnesium is more reactive than hydrogen and copper is less reactive
than hydrogen
accept ‘magnesium is more reactive than copper’
accept ‘copper is less reactive than magnesium’
accept ‘magnesium is higher than copper in the reactivity
series’
accept ‘copper is lower in the reactivity series’
1 (L7)

(b) sulphuric
1 (L7)

(c)
formula name

CuSO4 copper sulphate

MgCl2 magnesium chloride

2 (L7)
[6]

Q9.
(a) oxygen → magnesium oxide
both parts of the equation are needed
do not accept ‘air’ for oxygen
1

(b) nitrogen
1

the following explanations are only applicable to nitrogen: if any other

answer is given above a mark cannot be awarded for the second part

any one from

• contains no oxygen
accept ‘the other jars all contain oxygen’

21
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
• nitrogen is unreactive
accept ‘nitrogen does not support burning’
1
[3]

Q10.
(a)
copper iron magnesium zinc

calcium
X X X X
nitrate

copper
nitrate

iron
X
nitrate

award one mark for each correct row

3 (L7)

(b)

if all three answers are correct, award two marks

if one or two answers are correct, award one mark
if more than one line is drawn from a pair of reactants,
award no credit for that pair
2 (L7)
[5]

Q11.
(a) zinc
lead
copper
silver
award two marks if all four metals are in the correct order
award one mark for zinc at the top and silver at the bottom of
the list

22
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
award one mark for lead and copper in the correct order
2 (L7)

(b) zinc
1 (L7)

(c) no because zinc is more reactive than silver

or zinc is above silver in the reactivity series
accept the converse
both the answer and the reason are required for the mark
1 (L7)

(d) below silver or at the bottom

because gold is the least reactive or gold does not react
both the answer and the reason are required for the mark
1 (L6)
[5]

Q12.
(i) idea that:
carbon is above lead in the reactivity series } NOT
for 1 mark

carbon is below aluminium in the reactivity series } OXIDE

for 1 mark

carbon can remove oxygen from/reduce lead oxide

or cannot remove oxygen from aluminium oxide
not aluminium more reactive than lead
for 1 mark

OR similar ideas in comparing bond strengths

3

(ii) (carbon + lead oxide) →*lead + *carbon dioxide

each for 1 mark

accept correct formulae CO2 and CO NOT carbon oxide

2
[5]

Q13.
(a) (i) electrolysis
allow ‘react (ore) with potassium
1

(ii) any one from:

allow gold

• zinc

23
Grade C: Q1-5; Grade B: Q6-9; Grade A: Q10-13
• lead

• copper
1

(iii) because hydrogen is more reactive than copper

accept the converse
1

(b) (i) carbon reacts with oxygen to make carbon dioxide.

accept C + O2 → CO2
1

carbon dioxide reacts with more carbon to make carbon monoxide

accept CO2 + C → 2CO
2C + O2 → 2CO for 1 mark
1

(ii) Fe2O3 + 3 CO → 2 Fe + 3 CO2

correct reactants
1
correct products
1
correct balancing
1

(iii) carbon or carbon monoxide is oxidised / takes oxygen

either order
1

iron (oxide) is reduced / loses oxygen

1
[10]

24