Displacement Reactions | Environmental Chemistry | FuseSchool

Summary

This video explores the reactivity series of metals, demonstrating how it can predict chemical reactions, particularly displacement reactions. By using the reactivity series, the video explains how one metal can displace another from a compound, such as zinc displacing copper in a reaction. It also introduces carbon as a non-metal in the reactivity series and explains its role in smelting, an ancient method for isolating metals. Viewers learn how to predict reaction outcomes and name products, with examples and historical context about the discovery of metals based on reactivity.

Takeaways

• 😀 The reactivity series ranks metals by their chemical reactivity, helping predict how metals will react with each other and with compounds.
• 😀 A displacement reaction occurs when a more reactive element displaces a less reactive element from a compound.
• 😀 In a reaction between zinc and copper oxide, zinc displaces copper due to its higher reactivity, producing zinc oxide and copper.
• 😀 Copper cannot displace zinc in the reverse reaction because copper is less reactive than zinc.
• 😀 The reactivity series allows us to predict if a reaction will occur and determine the products by swapping the metals in a displacement reaction.
• 😀 Carbon, as a non-metal, is included in the reactivity series to help understand its role in displacement reactions, particularly with metals like zinc and copper.
• 😀 The reactivity series helps identify whether a reaction will proceed by showing the relative reactivity of different metals.
• 😀 When iron reacts with copper sulfate, iron displaces copper due to its higher reactivity, forming iron sulfate and copper.
• 😀 The reactivity series also explains how ancient people used charcoal (carbon) to extract metals from their ores through a process known as smelting.
• 😀 More reactive metals require advanced techniques, such as electrolysis, to be extracted, as seen with the isolation of highly reactive metals using electricity.

Q & A

What is a displacement reaction?

A displacement reaction occurs when one element displaces another from a chemical compound. For example, a more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from its compound.

How can the reactivity series help predict chemical reactions?

The reactivity series helps predict whether a chemical reaction will occur by ranking metals based on their reactivity. Metals higher on the series can displace metals lower in the series from their compounds.

Why is zinc able to displace copper in a reaction?

Zinc is more reactive than copper according to the reactivity series. Therefore, zinc can displace copper from its compound, as it has a stronger tendency to lose electrons and react.

Why doesn't the reverse reaction, where copper is added to zinc oxide, work?

Copper is not reactive enough to displace zinc from zinc oxide. The reactivity series shows that zinc is more reactive than copper, so copper cannot replace zinc in this reaction.

How do we name the products of a displacement reaction?

In a displacement reaction, the products are named by swapping the metals around. The more reactive metal displaces the less reactive one in the compound.

What happens when iron powder is added to a copper sulfate solution?

When iron powder is added to copper sulfate, a red copper powder forms, and the solution turns pale green as iron sulfate is produced.

How is carbon involved in the reactivity series?

Carbon is included in the reactivity series to compare its reactivity with metals. It is used in displacement reactions, such as in smelting, to displace less reactive metals from their compounds.

What is smelting, and how is carbon used in it?

Smelting is the process of using carbon (typically charcoal) to displace metals with low reactivity from their ores. This process was historically used to isolate metals like iron.

Why did ancient people use charcoal to extract metals?

Ancient people used charcoal, which is almost pure carbon, in fires or furnaces to displace metals from their ores. This was possible because these metals had low reactivity and could be isolated by carbon.

What role did the discovery of electricity play in metal extraction?

The discovery of electricity was crucial for isolating more reactive metals. Unlike low-reactivity metals, highly reactive metals required electrical methods for their extraction, as they couldn’t be displaced by carbon.