Metal that does not deposit silver (Ag)

Hi Chemistry enthusiasts!


I am working on my scholarship exam practice but I am considered myself as a newbie so I would like to hear your opinion :)



> 
> From (1)-(4) below choose the metal that does not deposit silver (Ag)
>  on the surface when immersed in aqueous silver nitrate. (1) Cu (2) Fe
>  (3) Pt (4) Zn
> 
> 
> 


The answer is Pt but I am not sure how I can solve this problem without any other given information such as electrode potential etc. Please advise. 




You *do* need the [electromotive series](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Electromotive-series-of-metals_tbl2_252322564) or [reactivity series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactivity_series) to answer that question. If you will not have access to it during such exams, you'll need to memorize the order of some common elements, and to understand the [arrangement of the Periodic Table](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ed004p228?src=recsys).


The most reactive metals are at the bottom left of the table, low in Group I. The "noble" or coinage metals are clustered near the center, with reactivity generally *decreasing* within a column. E.G., Au is less reactive than Ag, which is less reactive than Cu.


Later, you may learn about the [electron configuration of atoms](https://opentextbc.ca/introductorychemistry/chapter/electronic-structure-and-the-periodic-table-2/) and how that determines reactivity, but at this point, knowing the reactivity series would get you though the test.


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