The question
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Which metal gives up electrons? (4 points)
Experimental setup
Metals in solutions
A student places a strip of tin metal, Sn, into a beaker of colorless AgNO₃(aq). After an hour, shiny gray crystals of silver have grown on the strip and the strip is thinner. A second strip of tin placed in Zn(NO₃)₂(aq) shows no change. Tin forms Sn²⁺ ions in these reactions.
(a) Write the balanced net ionic equation for the reaction of tin with silver nitrate solution. [1 point]
(b) Identify the oxidizing agent in the reaction in part (a). Justify your answer in terms of electrons. [1 point]
(c) Write the oxidation and reduction half-reactions and explain why the coefficient of Ag⁺ in part (a) must be 2. [1 point]
(d) Using both observations, rank tin, silver and zinc in order of how readily they lose electrons, and justify the position of tin. [1 point]