reactivity series

Chemical series produced by arranging the metals in order of their ease of reaction with reagents such as oxygen, water, and acids. An example of such an arrangement, starting with the most reactive, is: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc, iron, tin, lead, copper, silver, gold. This arrangement aids the understanding of the properties of metals, helps to explain differences between them, and enables predictions to be made about a metal's behaviour, based on a knowledge of its position or properties. It also allows prediction of the relative stability of the compounds formed by an element: the more reactive the metal, the more stable its compounds are likely to be.

The position of a metal in the series determines the reactions of the metal with various reagents, the displacement of one metal from its compound by another metal, and the method of extraction of a metal from its ore.