Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: inspiration100 on January 24, 2008, 08:16:55 PM
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Title pretty much says it all. I'm confused why Lithium is ahead of Potassium on the activity series. When you put Potassium in a bucket of water, it has a much more vigerous reaction that Lithium.
Can anyone explain why Lithium is ahead of Potassium?
Much appreciated!
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Now that you say it like that, I see why I was having trouble helping you with the previous question. On my activity series I have here, it is not. But a quick search on the internet turns up that most charts lists Lithium higher the Potassium, but not all.
I would be curious if other people have any publications (books) to compare it with the majority of the internet that does put Li higher.
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Both my general chem book and the internet sources state Li is ahead of K. Thats why i'm confused.
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I have come across the same problem;
Li is said to be more reactive than K, but why Li is placed at a higher position than K in the activity series?
PLEASE REPLY
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I looked at Siska's "University Chemistry", which has Li ahead of K in the activity series. Dr. Siska wrote that this goes against intuition (based on ionization energy trends) but this ordering also takes bonding and/or solvation energies into account. So, if it takes more energy to solvate a K+ ion than a Li+ ion (K+ does have a higher enthalpy and free energy of formation than Li+ in aqueous solution but I don't have solvation energies handy), than it would be more favorable for Li to displace K in solution.