What is a cheap metal that has a reduction potential high enough that it will not oxidize in electrolysis.?
548563
try Zinc.....sacrficial protection (galvanizing)\n\nyou can also use aluminium, it will react at first but then it will form a tough protective layer of aluminium oxide, which prevents further reaction....it really works
537146
The answer you are probably looking for is graphite, which is an allotrope of carbon. Just "Carbon" isn't a good answer because in the form of diamond or buckyballs carbon is almost completely non-conductive.\n\nSimilarly water isn't a good answer since water is a pretty good insulator. Only by dissolving metals such as sodium in the water can you make it conductive.\n\nHaving said that there are any number of other non-metallic conductors, but graphite carbon is probably the answer the teacher wants.
68791
Reactivity in goup 1 increses down the group from Lithium to Sodium to Potassium. Therefore, Sodium would the closest. They are all group 1 metals, just in different periods. All have one vacant electron which makes them very reactive.
557678
Ah ha.  Thermite.  Magnesium ribbon would be the usual method to start this reaction.\n\nBe careful with this reaction...
513117
use a potato and two different metals as electrodes. The link will help you, do your own homework, or web searching atleast! it was the second link in google for g** sake!
470003
First you need to compare the standard reduction potentials of each half-reaction. (See URL below if you don't have values.) The more positive value will be the reduction half-equation and must therefore be the cathode (and the positive terminal for a voltaic cell). The other half equation will be the oxidation half-equation, and must therefore be the anode (and the negative terminal). You need to reverse this equation. Before you can add the two half-equations together, you must ensure that each half-equation has the same number of electrons.\n\na) has a problem; it is not balanced. Either the silver atom on the right hand side should have a single positive charge OR there should be 2 electrons on the left hand side.\n\nb) The MnO2 reduction half-equation has a more positive value than AgBr reduction half-equation, therefore is the cathode etc ie\n\nReduction: MnO2 + 4H^+ + 2e^- = Mn^2+ + 4H2O (Cathode, +ve)\nOxidation: Ag + Br^- =  AgBr + e^-           (Anode, -ve)\n\nNow multiply the oxidation half-equation by 2 so that the number of electrons in each half equation is the same: \n\n2Ag + 2Br^- =  2AgBr + 2e^-\nMnO2 + 4H^+ + 2e^- = Mn^2+ + 4H2O \n---------------------------------\n2Ag + 2Br^- + MnO2 + 4H^+ =  2AgBr + Mn^2+ + 4H2O \n\nNote: the electrons cancel out.\n\nc)  i hope that the above will allow you to complete this one on you own.
843269
Use the Nickel Metal..Put your steel into a electrolysis solution of Nickle  electrolytes and charge it with electric anode and cathodes.
957199
If you are doing it in a laboratory setting, you can mix it with carbon and reduce it to the metal. You will need high temperatures, though.
528106
since reduction occurs at the cathode, it would be the Ag+, but it is relative to what your anode is.
809648
Nitrogen might be what you are looking for as it is a gas and is next to Oxygen in the periodic table so it has similar mass.\n\nBut as the person above has said, some kind of gaseous sulfur would have the closest properties to oxygen.
655581
In the redox-series Mn(0)/Mn(2+) has E(0) = -1,18 Volt and Pb(0)/Pb(2+) has E(0) = -0,13 Volt.\n\nThis means, that Mn is a stronger reducing agent than Pb; if you would do an electrolysis of two salts in a solution, one salt  being e. g. MnCl2 and the other one PbCl2, first the cathode would be covered by Pb-metal and after all Pb(2+)-ions are gone from the solution, then the cathode would start to be covered by Mn-metal. At the anode would run an oxidation process developing chlorinegas from the chloride-ions having a redoxpotential E(0) = +1,40 Volt, which depending on pH-value of the solution might react to hypochlorite-ions OCl(-). But also in parallel and depending on the applied voltage of your experiment some Mn(2+)-ions in the region of the anode could even be oxidized to permanganate-ions MnO4(-) having a redox-potential of E(0) = +1,51 Volt and giving that area a violet color.\n\nReferring to elements the strongest reducing agent is Li-metal having a redox-potential of E(0) = -3,03 Volt. But you can create an even stronger reducing agent: the electrode, because its redox-potential can be adjusted by the voltage which you apply.
897311
the lighter elements need less energy to scrap an electron from the outer shell
1103805
Hands down... gallium...\n\nGallium is a silvery metal that melts at 30 degree Celsius... thats 86 degree Fahrenheit... the stuff can be a nice solid chunk sitting on a table, and literally melt through your fingers when you pick it up... its the only substance I am aware of that has a melting point of approximately the temperature of the human body...
847907
copper most easily interact with oxygen than the other metals\ncoins are made of
1131804
You have the potential for galvanic corrosion.  Essentially, two metals at different potentials share electrons and one metal (the one with the higher potential) will start to erode and "plate" the other metal.\n\nTypically, using some sort of material that is a non-conductor (ceramics, rubber, etc) between the two or passivating the metal surfaces or coating the metal surfaces (prime and paint per ANSI standards) are your best options to prevent this.
248828
Of the metals commonly used for conductors, copper has the highest conductivity. Silver is more conductive, but due to cost it is not practical except as a thin plating to mitigate skin effect losses at high frequencies. Because of its ease of connection by soldering or clamping, copper is still the most common choice for most light-gauge wires.\n\nCompared to copper, aluminium has worse conductivity per unit volume, but better conductivity per unit weight. In many cases, weight is more important than volume making aluminium the 'best' conductor material for certain applications. For example, it is commonly used for large-scale power distribution conductors such as overhead power lines. In many such cases, aluminium is used over a steel core that provides much greater tensile strength than would the aluminium alone [1][2].\n\nGold is occasionally used for very fine wires such as those used to wire bond integrated circuits to their lead frames. The contacts in electrical connectors are also commonly gold plated or gold flashed (over nickel). Contrary to popular belief, this is not done because gold is a better conductor; it isn't. Instead, it is done because gold is very resistant to the surface corrosion that is commonly suffered by copper, silver, or tin/lead alloys. This corrosion would have a very detrimental effect on connection quality over time; gold-plating avoids that.
925200
The scientific supply companies like VWR probably have them.\n\nI searched for "oxygen reduction potential electrode" and got a bunch of hits.  Try that.\n\nYou'll also need a meter to attach it to.  Many better pH meters can handle this kind of probe as well.