Reactivity series
- CBSE · NCERT Class 10, Ch 3 Metals and Non-metals
The reactivity series is a list of metals in order of how readily they react, with the most reactive at the top.
It is also called the activity series. It was built from displacement reactions: a metal higher up pushes a lower metal out of its salt solution.
From the top, the order is: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc, iron, lead, then hydrogen, then copper, mercury, silver and gold. Hydrogen is not a metal, but it is placed in the list for comparison. Metals above hydrogen can push it out of dilute acids.
A small example
Will zinc react with copper sulphate solution? Zinc is 6th from the top and copper is 10th. Zinc is higher, so yes: Zn + CuSO₄ → ZnSO₄ + Cu. Will copper react with zinc sulphate? Copper is lower, so no. The same pair of metals gives opposite results.
Where marks go
Question 29 of CBSE's 2026-27 Science sample paper says iron added to magnesium sulphate turns the solution green. The 2026-27 Science marking scheme gives 1 mark for saying this is wrong because iron is less reactive than magnesium.
The marked answer uses the series as its reason. It names the two metals and says which is higher. Read how to write answers for full marks.
Sources
Facts last checked against these sources on 30 September 2026.
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