AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462), Higher tier · Chemical changes › Reactivity of metals
Practise Metal oxides. 12 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
Cover the answers and test yourself. The app has these as flashcards that come back just before you'd forget them.
Metals react with oxygen to produce metal oxides. Name the product formed when calcium reacts with oxygen.
calcium oxide
Write a balanced symbol equation for the reaction of lithium with oxygen.
4Li + O2 → 2Li2O
Metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides. Name the oxide formed when potassium burns in oxygen.
potassium oxide
A student holds a small piece of magnesium ribbon in tongs and places it into a Bunsen flame. Name the product formed, and give its formula.
magnesium oxide, MgO
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy4 marks
Metals react with oxygen to produce metal oxides.
(a) Name the product formed when calcium reacts with oxygen.[1]
(b) Balance the equation for the reaction of copper with oxygen. ....Cu + O2 → ....CuO[1]
(c) The reaction of a metal with oxygen is an oxidation reaction. Explain why.[1]
(d) Which change is a reduction? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
copper oxide → copper
iron → iron oxide
carbon → carbon dioxide
magnesium → magnesium oxide
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: calcium oxide
calcium oxide
(b)Answer: 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
(c)
the metal gains oxygen
(d)Answer: copper oxide → copper
Question 2Medium5 marks
A student passed hydrogen gas over heated black copper(II) oxide. The powder turned pink-brown and droplets of water formed further along the tube. CuO + H2 → Cu + H2O
(a) Which substance was reduced? Give a reason for your answer.[2]
(b) Which substance was oxidised? Give a reason for your answer.[2]
(c) The student let hydrogen flow through the tube for some time before heating it. Suggest why.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
copper(II) oxide
it lost oxygen
(b)
hydrogen
it gained oxygen (to form water)
(c)
to remove the air, because a mixture of hydrogen and air / oxygen can explode when heated
Question 3Hard6 marks
Burning magnesium keeps burning when it is placed in a jar of carbon dioxide. A white powder and black specks of carbon form. 2Mg + CO2 → 2MgO + C
(a) Identify the substance that is oxidised and the substance that is reduced in this reaction. Explain your answers in terms of oxygen.[3]
(b) Suggest why a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher should not be used on burning magnesium.[1]
(c) The thermite reaction is: Fe2O3 + 2Al → Al2O3 + 2Fe Explain why this reaction is described as a redox reaction.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
magnesium is oxidised
because it gains oxygen (to form magnesium oxide)
carbon dioxide is reduced because it loses oxygen (to form carbon)
(b)
magnesium keeps burning / reacts with carbon dioxide because it removes oxygen from carbon dioxide
(c)
aluminium gains oxygen so is oxidised
iron(III) oxide loses oxygen so is reduced (both reduction and oxidation happen)