Displacement reactions involving solutions of salts

2 marks · Hard

When iron metal is placed in a solution of copper(II) sulfate, a reaction occurs in which copper metal forms. Write the balanced ionic equation for this displacement reaction.

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Fe(s) + Cu^{2+}(aq) \rightarrow Fe^{2+}(aq) + Cu(s)

Also accept: Fe(s) + Cu^{2+}(aq) \rightarrow Fe^{2+}(aq) + Cu(s)

Common mistakes: Including spectator ions (e.g., SO_4^{2-}) in equation; Incorrect charge on ions

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Marking points

M1 · 1 mark · Correctly writes all relevant species (Fe(s), Cu^{2+}(aq), Fe^{2+}(aq), Cu(s)) with states and charges.

A1 · 1 mark · Fully balanced ionic equation with correct direction and no spectator ions.

Worked solution

The balanced ionic equation only shows the reacting species: