RobertLongoFebruary17,2016TheActivitySeries–PenniesandNailsPurpose:Thepurposeofthisexperimentistotestwhetherornotareactionwilltakeplacebetweenthecopperacetateinthevinegarsolutionfromthepenniesandtheironnail,whiledeepeningunderstandingoftheactivityseriesandhowitcanbeusedtopredictareaction.Results:AfterIallowedthepenniestositinthevinegarandsaltsolutionforsometimeinordertodissolvethecopperoxideoffthesurface,Iaddedthenailintothebowlandallowedittositforsometime.Idefinitelynoticedthatareactiontookplace,asthecopperthatwasinthevinegarseemstoaccumulateonthesurfaceofthenail,turningitadeeporange-redcolor.ItseemsIwasnotabletoscrapeoffallofthegalvanizationfromthesurfaceofthenail,asthereactionoccurredverystrongonsomepartsofthenail’ssurface,andnotatallonothers.ThereactionthatseemedtooccurwasFe+Cu(CH3COO)2-àFe(C2H3O2)2+Cu.Thisconfirmedthatironismorereactivethancopper,asitwasabletodisplacethecopperinthecopperacetatefoundinthevinegar.

WhatILearned:Thisexperimentwasreallyabletogivemeamuchstrongerunderstandingoftheactivityseriesanditsroleinpredictingwhetherornotareactionwouldoccur.Iftheexperimentwasreversedbydissolvingironoxideinvinegarandsalttoformironacetateandplacingcopperinthesolution,areactionwouldnotoccurbecausecopperislessreactivethanironandwouldnotbeabletoseparatetheironfromtheacidicaciditformedacompoundwith.Thisexperimentalsoallowedtoadeeperunderstandingofoxidationandreactionwitheachmetalsreacting,withtheaceticacidsolution.Thecopperwentthroughareductionwhenitgainedelectronsbyjoiningtothesurfaceofthenailandtheoppositehappenedwiththeiron,asitwasoxidizedwhenitjoinedwiththeaceticacidmoleculeinthesolution.

Whythiswasagoodexperiment;Whilereadingaboutthechemistrythatoccurssurroundingtheactivityseriesanditsvalueinpredictingwhetherareactionwilltakeplaceandaboutoxidationandreduction,itismuchmoreusefultoseeitinaction.Thisexperimentisveryusefulinprovidingasmall-scaleexampleofareactionthattakesplaceinlargescalestocreatepuremetals.