Chemistry Form 4 Experiment 5.1 -

“Today,” she had announced, her voice crackling through the lab’s humid air, “you are all forensic chemists. A factory has spilled three different metals—magnesium, zinc, and copper—into a vat of copper(II) sulphate solution. Your job is to determine which metal is the ‘hero’ that reacts, and which are the ‘villains’ that remain inert.”

Maya stood up, her voice steady. “Magnesium is the most reactive, then zinc, then copper. Because a more reactive metal will displace a less reactive metal from its salt solution.” chemistry form 4 experiment 5.1

Ravi carefully dropped a few granules of zinc into the next tube. For a moment, nothing. Then, a miracle. The deep blue colour began to bleed away from the zinc, as if an invisible eraser was moving upwards. Simultaneously, a reddish-brown dust started to bloom on the surface of the zinc granules, like rust forming in fast-forward. “Today,” she had announced, her voice crackling through

Only the blue solution. Nothing happened. It remained still, a calm witness. “Magnesium is the most reactive, then zinc, then copper

In their lab books, under , Maya wrote the final line of the story: