Question

Which of the following reactions is possible?

Heating Copper Oxide with Zinc or Magnesium

Answer 1

Part: 1

• Copper in Copper Oxide is less reactive than Zinc.
• This implies the reaction is feasible and it is a type of displacement reaction.

$$\begin{gathered} \mathbf{CuO}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Zn}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\to }\mathbf{}\mathbf{ZnO}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Cu}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)} \\ \mathbf{Copper}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Zinc}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Zinc}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Copper} \\ \mathbf{Oxide}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Oxide} \end{gathered}$$

Part: 2

• The reaction between Copper Oxide and Magnesium is feasible because Copper in Copper Oxide is less reactive than Magnesium.

$$\begin{gathered} \mathbf{CuO}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Mg}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\to }\mathbf{}\mathbf{MgO}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Cu}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)} \\ \mathbf{Copper}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Magnesium}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Copper} \\ \mathbf{Oxide}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Oxide} \end{gathered}$$