What is a Displacement Reaction? Give an Example

Displacement reaction is where and highly reactant species pushes out or displaces a less reactive element from the solution. An example is where zinc removes the iron ions from the iron sulfate solution.

Displacement Reaction

• A displacement reaction is a chemical process in which a highly reactive species (or element) forces a less reactive element out of its solution.
• Zinc, for example, takes iron ions out of iron sulphate solution.
• When iron and copper nitrate solution interact, iron is liberated as iron sulphate solution.
• A substitution reaction is another name for a displacement reaction.

When an atom or group of atoms in a molecule are replaced by another atom, this is referred to as a displacement reaction. For instance, copper metal is displaced when iron is added to a solution of copper sulphate.

A + B-C → A-C + B

The above equation exists when A is more reactive than B.

A and B have to be either:

• Halogens where C indicates a cation.
• Different metals wherein C indicates an anion.

The chemical equation of a displacement reaction:

• As an illustration, one of the displacement reactions is the reaction between iron and copper sulphate, which yields iron sulphate.
• Copper is substituted because iron is in this condition far more reactive than copper.

Fe(s) + CuSO₄ (aq) → FeSO₄ (aq) + Cu(s)