Displacement Reactions

📚 Key Concepts

🔹 Real-Life Example

When you dip an iron nail into blue copper sulfate solution, the nail gets coated with reddish-brown copper metal, and the solution turns light green. The iron has “kicked out” the copper from its compound because iron is more reactive. It’s like a more popular person taking someone’s place in a group!

Displacement Reaction: Reactions in which atoms or ions move from one compound to other to form new compound are known as displacement reaction. Displacement reaction is also known as substitution reaction or single displacement/replacement reaction.

🧪 Important Formulas

🔸 General Formula

A + BC → AC + B

Where A is more reactive than B, so A displaces B from compound BC.

🔸 Examples

1. Zn + CuSO₄ → ZnSO₄ + Cu (Zinc displaces copper – zinc is more reactive)
2. Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl₂ + H₂ (Zinc displaces hydrogen from acid)
3. Fe + CuSO₄ → FeSO₄ + Cu (Iron displaces copper)

🔹 Reactivity Series

More reactive metals can displace less reactive metals: K > Na > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > Fe > Pb > H > Cu > Hg > Ag > Au

🔍 Advanced: No Reaction Cases

If you put a less reactive metal with a more reactive metal’s compound, no reaction occurs: Ag + Cu(NO₃)₂ → No reaction (Silver cannot displace copper as silver is less reactive)