displacement reactions

• displacement reactions: a reaction in which a substance is added to a solution and the solution is then separated into its original components
• displacement is when a more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from a compound
• the reactivity series is a list of metals from the most reactive to the least reactive substances and metals
• carefully planned displacement expirements can be used to put metals into a reactivity series
• most metals go throught a chemical reaction when combined with other substances ; some metals react more easily than others they are more reactive
• we use the reactivity series to predict what will happen to the metal when mixed with a compound mixture eg. iron+copper sulfate--->copper+iron sulfate
• a chemical reaction in which a more reactive substance displaces a less reactive substance from a compound and takes its place

  displacement
• displacement reactions are chemical reactions which involve a metal and a compound containing metals and non-metals know as salts
• there is no reaction between and the salt if they are the same substance
• example


  aluminium is more reactive than iron so it takes the oxygen from the iron oxide and produces aluminium oxide. the iron has been displaced from its compound so it is no longer bonded.
• what happens in a displacement reaction?

  displacement can be seen when a metal salt containing a less reactive metal is dissolved into water to make a solution
• during the reaction

  1. the more reactive metal becomes less visable as it dissolves into the solution
  2. the less reactive metal from the salts coats the surface of the more reactive metal as it is displaced from its compound
• example

  magnesium is more reactive than copper. when magnesium is added to the blue copper sulfate solution

  • the blue colour fades as a colourless magnesium sulfate forms
  • brown copper coats the surface of the magnesium as the copper is displaced
  • magnesium+ copper sulfate--> magnesium sulfate+ copper
• order of reactivity is a series of displacement experiments that can be used to put metals into the order of reactivity
• temperate measurements us when a displacement reaction occurs, the tempuratures rise and the higher on the reactivity series the metal is shown
• reactivity series goes from most to least reactive
• 1. potassium- k
  2. sodium-Na
  3. calcium-Ca
  4. magnesium-Mg
  5. aluminium-Al
  6. carbon-C
  7. zinc-Zn
  8. iron-Fe
  9. tin-Sn
  10. lead-Pb
  11. hydrogen-H
  12. copper-Cu
  13. silver-Ag
  14. gold-Au
  15. platinum-Pt