What type of metal(s) to use is readily determined by following the galvanic series.

The table below shows a simplified galvanic series which is used to select the anode metal.

The reaction is spontaneous because copper is higher on the galvanic series than iron.

The following is the galvanic series for stagnant (that is, low oxygen content) seawater.

Galvanic series tables for seawater are often consulted due to the extensive use of metal in shipbuilding.

Some metals are more intrinsically resistant to corrosion than others (for some examples, see galvanic series).

Galvanic series (most noble at top)

This hierarchy is called a galvanic series and is useful in predicting and understanding corrosion.

The galvanic series (or electropotential series) determines the nobility of metals and semi-metals.

Metals can be classified into a galvanic series representing the electrical potential they develop in a given electrolyte against a standard reference electrode.

The most susceptible alloys are the ones containing metals with high distance between each other in the galvanic series, e.g. copper and zinc in brass.

Magnesium has the most negative electropotential of the three (see galvanic series) and is more suitable for areas where the electrolyte (soil or water) resistivity is higher.

Under many application conditions copper is higher on the galvanic series than other common structural metals, meaning that copper wire is less likely to be corroded in wet conditions.

A "galvanic series" is a hierarchy of metals (or other electrically conductive materials, including composites and semimetals) that runs from noble to active, and allows designers to see at a glance how materials will interact in the environment used to generate the series.