Reactions

Displacement reaction — প্রতিস্থাপন বিক্রিয়া

Quick answer

In a displacement reaction a more reactive element takes the place of a less reactive one inside its compound.

Definition

A displacement reaction happens when a free element, being more reactive, pushes a less reactive element out of its compound and takes over the vacant place. Iron dipped in blue copper sulfate solution pushes the copper out: Fe + CuSO4\mathrm{CuSO_{4}} → FeSO4\mathrm{FeSO_{4}} + Cu, and the blue fades as red-brown copper settles on the iron. The reactivity series tells you at a glance which displacements work: metals above hydrogen can push it out of dilute acids, while copper, sitting below hydrogen, cannot.

For example

Drop a clean iron nail into copper sulfate solution in the school lab and it comes out copper-plated, while the solution turns from blue to pale green iron sulfate.

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