What is a Displacement Reaction? Give an Example.

Answer: Displacement reaction is a type of chemical reaction where an element reacts with a compound and takes the place of another element in that compound. This typically happens when a more reactive element displaces a less reactive element.

For example, let us consider the reaction between iron (Fe) and copper sulfate (CuSO₄) :

Fe + CuSO₄ → FeSO₄ + CuFe + CuSO₄ ​→FeSO₄ ​+ Cu

In this reaction, iron is more reactive than copper. So, iron displaces copper from the copper sulfate compound. The result is iron sulfate (FeSO₄) and free copper (Cu).

Here’s what happens:

• Iron (Fe) goes into the solution, taking the place of copper (Cu) in the compound.
• Copper (Cu) is released from the compound and becomes a free element.

Displacement reactions are important in chemistry because they demonstrate the reactivity series of metals, where more reactive metals can displace less reactive ones from their compounds. This concept is widely used in metallurgy and chemical industry.