Reactivity of metals in Metals and Non-Metals – Class 8 Science Experiment

Chapter Name: Metals and Non-Metals

Activity Name: Reactivity of metals in Metals and Non-Metals

Activity Description:

This experiment explores the reactivity of metals with water and metal salts. Different metals react with these substances at varying rates. The activity involves observing the reactions of zinc, iron, and copper with water and metal salt solutions.

Required Items:

1. Five beakers
2. 50ml of water
3. Copper sulphate
4. Zinc sulphate
5. Iron sulphate
6. Zinc granules
7. Iron nail
8. Copper turnings

Step by Step Procedure:

1. Take five beakers and label them ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’, and ‘e’.
2. Pour 50ml of water into each beaker.
3. Dissolve a spatulaful of copper sulphate in beakers ‘a’ and ‘b’.
4. Dissolve a spatulaful of zinc sulphate, iron sulphate, and zinc sulphate in beakers ‘c’, ‘d’, and ‘e’, respectively.
5. Place zinc granules in beaker ‘a’, an iron nail in beaker ‘b’, copper turnings in beaker ‘c’, copper turnings in beaker ‘d’, and iron nails in beaker ‘e’.
6. Leave the beakers undisturbed and record the changes in the color of the solutions in table-9.

Experiment Observations:

In beaker ‘a’: The blue color of copper sulphate disappears, and a powdery red mass of copper is deposited at the bottom, forming colorless zinc sulphate. In beaker ‘b’: Red copper is found at the bottom of the beaker and on the iron nail, leaving light green iron sulphate solution.

Note down your observation in table format:

Precautions:

1. Handle the chemicals and metals with care, wearing appropriate safety gear.
2. Ensure that the beakers are clean and dry before conducting the experiment.
3. Observe the reactions carefully and avoid unnecessary disturbances.

Lesson Learnt from Experiment:

1. Zinc displaces copper from copper sulphate, indicating zinc’s higher reactivity than copper.
2. Iron displaces copper from copper sulphate, indicating iron’s higher reactivity than copper.
3. Copper is unable to displace zinc from zinc sulphate, suggesting that copper is less reactive than zinc.
4. Copper is unable to displace iron from iron sulphate, indicating that copper is less reactive than iron.
5. Iron is unable to displace zinc from zinc sulphate, suggesting that iron is less reactive than zinc.