Which one among the following is the correct order of reactivity of the elements?

The reactivity series ranks metals based on their relative ability to lose electrons and form positive ions. According to the standard activity series, alkali metals like sodium (Na) are the most reactive, followed by alkaline earth metals like magnesium (Mg) [3]. Transition metals such as zinc (Zn) are moderately reactive, while copper (Cu) is significantly less reactive and found near the bottom of the series [5]. Experimental evidence shows that sodium reacts vigorously with water, magnesium reacts less vigorously, and zinc requires reaction with acids to show moderate activity, whereas copper does not react with dilute hydrochloric acid at all [4]. Therefore, the correct descending order of reactivity is Sodium (Na) > Magnesium (Mg) > Zinc (Zn) > Copper (Cu). This sequence is consistent with displacement reaction observations where zinc can displace copper, but copper cannot displace zinc [1].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > 3.2.5 The Reactivity Series > p. 45
2. [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > Figure 3.9 > p. 50
3. [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactivity_series
4. [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > p. 42
5. [4] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > Activity 3.11 > p. 44