Name: Metal Displacement Reactions
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 9 min 12 s
Description: This video describes the displacement reactions based on the reactivity series in which a more reactive element displaces a less reactive one from its aqueou...

Question

What is a displacement reaction? Explain the statement 'Iron can displace copper from its salt solution, but copper cannot displace iron from its salt solution.'

Accepted Answer

The reaction in which a more reactive metal displaces the less reactive metal from its salt solution is known as displacement reaction. The metal which is placed higher in the reactivity series is more reactive than those metals which are placed below it.

When iron nails are dipped in the blue coloured copper sulphate solution, iron displaces copper from its salt solution. This is because iron is more reactive than copper, so it can easily displace copper from its salt solution. The displacement reaction that occurs is as follows:

$\underset{Iron}{Fe (s)} + \underset{\underset{(blue)}{Copper sulphate}}{{CuSO}_{4} (aq)} \to \underset{\underset{(reddish - brown)}{Iron sulphate}}{{FeSO}_{4} (aq)} + \underset{copper}{Cu (s)}$

Copper being less reactive than iron, it cannot displace iron from its salt solution.

What is a displacement reaction? Explain the statement 'Iron can displace copper from its salt solution, but copper cannot displace iron from its salt solution.'

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