Reactivity of metals

Metals react with oxygen to produce metal oxides. The reactions are oxidation, because the metals gain oxygen.

When metals react with other substances the metal atoms form positive ions. The reactivity of a metal is related to its tendency to form positive ions. Metals can be arranged in order of their reactivity in a reactivity series. The metals potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper can be put into order of their reactivity from…