Chemical Reactions and Equations

Lesson

Part 2 — metals that push each other out, partners that swap, reactions that give out or take in heat, and the oxygen story behind rust and stale chips.

In this lesson you will

Predict whether a displacement reaction will happen using the reactivity series
Recognise double displacement and precipitation reactions and name the precipitate
Classify a reaction as exothermic or endothermic
Identify the substance oxidised, the substance reduced, the oxidising agent and the reducing agent
Explain corrosion and rancidity as oxidation and suggest ways to prevent them

Concept

The reactivity series: the stronger pushes out the weaker

In a displacement reaction, a more reactive element pushes a less reactive one out of its compound: $\ce{A + BC -> AC + B}$ . A metal can displace any metal below it in the reactivity series from its salt solution.

Diagram

Iron nail in copper sulphate solution

Clean the nail with sandpaper first so the iron surface is exposed.

After about 20 minutes the blue solution fades to pale green (iron sulphate), and the nail gets a reddish-brown coating of copper.

\ce{Fe(s) + CuSO4(aq) -> FeSO4(aq) + Cu(s)}

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