GlossariesGCSE GlossariesGCSE Chemistry GlossaryReactivity

Reactivity - GCSE Chemistry Definition

Reviewed by: Richard Boole

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Reactivity describes how easily and quickly a substance—usually an element or compound—undergoes a chemical reaction with another substance.

In GCSE Chemistry, reactivity is especially important for metals, and helps us predict how they react with:

  • Water

  • Acids

  • Oxygen

For example:

  • Potassium reacts very quickly with water

  • Gold does not react with water or acids

The Reactivity Series is a list of metals ranked from most to least reactive, and it helps explain patterns in displacement reactions, metal extraction, and safety in handling reactive elements.

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Richard Boole

Reviewer: Richard Boole

Expertise: Chemistry Content Creator

Richard has taught Chemistry for over 15 years as well as working as a science tutor, examiner, content creator and author. He wasn’t the greatest at exams and only discovered how to revise in his final year at university. That knowledge made him want to help students learn how to revise, challenge them to think about what they actually know and hopefully succeed; so here he is, happily, at SME.

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