Which are the least reactive metals and why?

Answer 1

Ia group (Group 1) the alkali metals are the most reactive and they can lose an electron easily.

The least reactive metals are:-

• The so-called platinum metals, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum which are transition metals in groups 8,9,10.Althoough i consider osmium is a bit too reactive to be included.
• The coinage metals copper, silver, gold are quite unreactive particluarly gold.
• Mercury.

Some metals appear to be very unreactive because their surfaces are passivated by an oxide layer e.g. aluminium and titanium.

Answer 2

All are listed from the most reactive metal to the least in BOLD:

NB: This list is incomplete. Never on the internet have I found a complete list.

These must be extracted via electrolysis, react with acids, cold water, and tarnish quickly

Francium < radioactive and reacts explosively; the most reactive.

Cesium

(other metals in group 1 and 2)

Lithium

Potassium

Strontium

Calcium

Sodium

Lithium

Calcium

Magnesium < Though it is considered very reactive, it reacts very slowly with water

These metals can be extracted by reduction by carbon, react slowly with acids, do not react with cold water (room temperature water), but react with steam and tarnish slowly.

Aluminum

Carbon

Zinc

Chromium

These don't react with steam.

Iron

Cadmium

Cobalt

Nickle

Tin

Lead

All Metals below hydrogen do not react with acids, nor water, but still tarnish in air very slowly. These are extracted by decomposing their oxides (heating).

Hydrogen

Antimony

Arsenic

Bismuth

Copper

Mercury

Silver < Can still be dissolved by nitric acid.

Gold

Paladium

Platinum < very unreactive, but not the least reactive.

(other metals)

It gets a bit more complicated here. The list above is a basic list of reactivity with normal acids. However some of these metals can still be dissolved.

These metals can be dissolved by aqua regia (royal water; concentrated mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid)

Copper

Gold

Platinum

Ruthenium < dissolved in aqua regia in the presence of oxygen.

Rhodium < must be pulverized to react with aqua regia.

These do not react with aqua regia (they are very very very unreactive)

Niobium

Tantalum

Finally, what is regarded as the least reactive metal of all time (drum roll):

Iridium

Answer 3

The Periodic Table is a table of elements although metals are in it. There are 5 types of categories for the elements. From left to right there are the Alkali Metals, Alkali Earth Metals, Transition Metals, Halogens, and Noble Gases. There is also a list on the bottom called the Intransition Metals. The Noble Gases are the most unreactive category out of all the others.

Answer 4

Group 1 elements or alkali metals are the most reactive metals

Halogens or group 17 elements are the most reactive non metals

Answer 5

Hydrogen is least reactive, and francium (radioactive) is highly reactive even with water.

Answer 6

In the transition metal family of elements, the ones down low, like gold, platinum, iridium, are considered "noble metals" because they react very poorly with other elements.