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Ease of Oxidation
| Let's relate the ease of oxidation of several metals to
their position on the periodic table. You might want to have a periodic table handy while
making these comparisons. Let's use sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and aluminum.
(These comparisons are also shown in example 13 in your workbook.) |
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| First let's compare sodium and potassium. Since potassium is lower on the
periodic table, it loses electrons more easily. Thus, in ordering them from most easily
oxidized to least easily oxidized, potassium goes at the top of the list and sodium goes
below it. |
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| Next let's compare calcium and magnesium. They are in the same group on
the periodic table. Calcium is further down on the table, therefore its electrons are
further away from the nucleus and more easily lost than the electrons of magnesium. |
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| Next let's compare sodium, magnesium, and aluminum. They're in the same
period on the periodic table. As you go from left to right it becomes more difficult to
lose electrons because there are a greater number of protons. The additional protons are
holding the electrons more tightly. Therefore, sodium, the one furthest to the left, is
the most reactive; magnesium next most active; and aluminum the least reactive of these
three. |
| Ease of oxidation |
Na
Mg
Al |
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| Now let's put all of these comparisons together. Let's use the last set as
our starting point. We also know that potassium is more reactive than sodium, so we will
put potassium above sodium. We know that calcium is more reactive than magnesium so we
will insert calcium in the list above magnesium. Now this leaves the question as to
whether calcium should be above sodium or below sodium. Based on the periodic table, we
don't really have a proper method of determining whether sodium or calcium should be
higher, so I put them together. |
| Ease of oxidation |
K
Na, Ca
Mg
Al |
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E-mail instructor:
Eden Francis
Clackamas Community College
©1998, 1999 Clackamas Community College, Hal Bender
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