Compare and contrast on how metals react with water and oxygen can anyone help?
Answers
Metals such as potassium, sodium and lithium react with oxygen very quickly. Calcium and magnesium are slightly less reactive and react with oxygen less quickly. Metals like copper and mercury react with oxygen very slowly and need to be heated continuously in order to see this happening.
Most of the metals do not react with water. However, alkali metals react vigorously with water. Reaction of sodium metal with water: Sodium metal forms sodium hydroxide and liberates hydrogen gas along with lot of heat when reacts with water.
See metals create a protective layer when they are exposed to air that is MgO and Al2O3
Water is an amphoteric in nature so it could act as base and acid both it depends upon the metal.
Like Na reacts very fast with water