Chemical Properties of Metals – Metals Burnt in Air

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What are the chemical properties of metals?

Chemical properties are characteristics of a material that become evident when the material undergoes a chemical reaction or chemical change. Few of the chemical characteristics exhibited by metals are:

• The reaction of metals with oxygen
• The reaction of metals with water
• The reaction of metals with acids
• The reaction of metals with bases
• The reaction of metals with solutions of other metal salts

If the metals react readily with something, then they are said to be more reactive. When it’s difficult for them to react, then they are less reactive.

Property 1: The reaction of metals with oxygen

When metals react with the oxygen we obtain metal oxides.

Metal + Oxygen → Metal Oxide

The metal oxides that are formed post-reaction are usually basic. But sometimes, they can also be amphoteric, that is a few metal oxides may show acidic as well as basic behaviours.

Most metal oxides are insoluble in water but some may also dissolve to form alkalis. Different metals show different levels of reactivity towards oxygen. For example,

1. Alkali metals such as sodium and potassium react vigorously with oxygen. They react even if they’re just kept in the open, that is at room temperature. They don’t even need fire to ignite the reaction.
2. Metals such as magnesium, aluminium, zinc and lead also react with oxygen at room temperature but When they react with oxygen, their surfaces get covered with a thin protective layer of oxide. This layer protects the inner part from being oxidised.
3. Iron doesn’t burn on heating, but iron filings burn vigorously after being heated.
4. Silver and gold do not react with oxygen at all even at high temperatures.

Summary