Activity series of metals
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| Metals | Metal Ion | Reactivity |
|---|---|---|
| K | K+ | reacts with water |
| Ca | Ca2+ | |
| Na | Na+ | |
| Mg | Mg2+ | reacts with acids |
| Al | Al3+ | |
| Zn | Zn2+ | |
| Fe | Fe2+ | |
| Ni | Ni2+ | |
| Sn | Sn2+ | |
| Pb | Pb2+ | |
| H2 | H+ | |
| Cu | Cu2+ | highly unreactive |
| Hg | Hg2+ | |
| Ag | Ag+ | |
| Pt | Pt+ | |
| Au | Au3+ |
Metals are listed in decreasing ease of oxidation, or increasing ease of reduction. A metal can replace metals listed below it in the activity series, but not above. For example, sodium is highly active and thus able to replace hydrogen from water:
Metals that can replace hydrogen within acids but not water are listed in the middle of the activity series, for example zinc replaces hydrogen in sulfuric acid: The activity series has applications in electrochemistry, where two dissimilar metals are chosen as electrodes of a battery.