EK chem 1001 934 explanation of activities series?

[GRod18]

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Nitric acid dissolves silver to produce NO gas instead of hydrogen gas. A copper wire is placed in a nitric acid solution (HNO3). Is a gas produced?

A table of highest to lowest oxidation potential was given.

Answer is

Yes, nitrate ions oxidize copper producing NO gas.

EK explanation: reasoning behind it is that Copper is more easily oxidized than silver, so since niric acid oxidizes silver, it wil oxidize copper. The gas produced wil be NO because H+ ions will not oxidize cooper


I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around this last bolded statment? Can anyone explain it? Why H+ can't oxidize it? On the table H2 -> 2 H+ + 2 e- is above Cu -> Cu2+ + 2 e-

Also can anyone explain the whole thing behind the activities series?

thanks in advance!!

 

[Salient]

Hmm. I learned how to do this with reduction potentials, where an acid species will react with any metal lower than it on the list. Since they gave you oxidation potentials, the trend seems to be reversed. NO3- is near the bottom, and will react with anything above it. H+ is higher, and in this example will only react with Zn.

Zn(s) to Zn 2+ is +0.76 V
H2 to H+ is 0.00 V (by definition!)
Cu(s) to Cu 2+ is -0.34 V
Ag(s) to Ag+ is -0.80 V
NO(g) to NO3- is -0.96 V

 

[GRod18]

alright thanks, I guess its just a memorization/understanding thing. Sometimes gen chem make me feel that it is just a bunch of brain teasers lol...

Thanks 🙂

 

[Rabolisk]

If you look at the standard reduction potential table, Cu+2 + 2e- has a positive reduction potential. Since H+ is defined as 0 V, that means that Cu+2 is more likely to be reduced. That means that H+ cannot oxidize Cu, since the opposite happens.