How would you organize the following metal from most active to least active, the most active metal being at the top?

Potassium
Aluminum
Nickel
Mercury

1 Answer
anor277
Jun 27, 2018

I think you have already done this....

Explanation:

Potassium is clearly the most active, and will react vigourously with water. Aluminum is the next most active, and will react, SLIGHTLY, with hot water. Mercury metal is clearly the least active.

As regards how we quantify these results, we would have recourse to tables of standard electrode potentials. . The more NEGATIVE the reduction potential of the dication, the MORE active the metal.

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