Question

A student performs an experiment in which he dipped a copper coil to the silver nitrate solution.

Which of the following is the correct observation related to this experiment?

• A. Colour of the solution changes to green.
• B. Gray coloured layer of silver appears on the surface of copper coil.
• C. The copper coil remains unaffected by the reaction.
• D. The colour of the solution remains the same.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Gray coloured layer of silver appears on the surface of copper coil.

The arrangement of metals as per reactivity series is: K > Na > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > Fe > Pb > H > Cu > Ag > Au.

Copper (Cu) being more reactive than silver (Ag), displaces it from its aqueous solution of silver nitrate.
After getting displaced from its solution, silver gets deposited on the surface of copper coil, leaving a grey layer. In addition, due to the formation of copper nitrate, the colour of the solution changes to blue.