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Metals and the Reactivity Series
A free video lesson on the reactivity series of metals — how it explains displacement reactions, how metals are extracted, and why iron rusts. Followed by real quiz questions, marked instantly. No account needed.
Why does potassium burst into flame in water while gold sits unchanged for centuries? This lesson explains the reactivity series, displacement reactions, how a metal's reactivity decides how it is extracted, and rusting and how to prevent it. It is part of Learning Hub, a UK-curriculum learning site built by a home-educating family.
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Questions parents ask
- What is the reactivity series?
- It is a list of metals in order of how reactive they are — from very reactive metals like potassium and sodium at the top, down to unreactive metals like silver and gold at the bottom. A more reactive metal will displace a less reactive one from its compound.
- How does reactivity affect how a metal is extracted?
- Very reactive metals like aluminium are extracted by electrolysis; less reactive metals like iron can be extracted by heating their ore with carbon; and unreactive gold is found as the pure metal in the ground.
- Is this suitable for KS3 and GCSE?
- Yes. The reactivity series is a core chemistry topic for Years 9 to 11 (KS3 and GCSE), and this lesson and quiz work as a clear introduction.
- Is it really free?
- The video and these questions are free with no account. The full site is £6.99 a month for the whole family, with a 14-day free trial and no card needed to start.