Reactions of metals with oxygen
When metals react with oxygen, metal oxides are formed. The speed of the reaction depends on the reactivity of the metal.
Watch this video for a practical demonstration of reacting metals with oyxgen.
Reacting metals with oxygen
This is the general word equation for the reaction:
metal + oxygen → metal oxide
For example, the reaction of zinc and oxygen can be written as:
Word equation
zinc + oxygen → zinc oxide
Chemical equation
2 Zn(s) + O2(g) → 2 ZnO(s)
Summary
The reactions of metals with water, acid and oxygen depend on their position in the reactivity series. This can be summed up in the diagram below.