Final answer:
In the reactor used for titanium extraction, magnesium is utilized due to its higher reactivity. If carbon, which is less reactive than both titanium and magnesium, was used, no titanium would be produced. This reflects the reactivity order of these three elements: magnesium is the most reactive, followed by titanium then carbon.
Step-by-step explanation:
The production of titanium in a reactor uses magnesium because magnesium reacts with titanium tetrachloride to form metallic titanium and magnesium chloride, making it the limiting reactant. Due to its reactivity, magnesium is capable of reducing titanium from its compound, which carbon cannot do. This indicates that magnesium is more reactive than carbon and titanium. This sequence of reactions demonstrates that the reactivity of a metal is critical for its usage in metallurgical processes.
If carbon were used instead of magnesium, it wouldn't be able to extract titanium because carbon is not as reactive as titanium. From this, we can assume that magnesium is more reactive than both carbon and titanium. If carbon were more reactive than titanium, it would be capable of displacing titanium from its compounds, like magnesium does, but since it cannot, it is less reactive.
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