Question

What is a displacement reaction? Give an example.

Answer 1

Displacement Reaction:

• "A chemical reaction in which a highly reactive species(or element) displaces or pushes out a less reactive element from its solution is called displacement reaction."
• For instance, zinc removes iron ions from iron sulfate solution.
• Copper nitrate solution releases copper by reacting with iron to form an iron sulfate solution.
• A displacement reaction is also referred to as a substitution reaction.

The chemical equation of a displacement reaction:

• For example, the displacement reactions include the reaction of iron and copper sulfate, which results in the production of iron sulfate.
• As iron is much more reactive than copper in this situation, copper is replaced.
• $\mathrm{Fe}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{CuSO}}_4\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to {\mathrm{FeSO}}_4\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+\mathrm{Cu}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)$