Question

In an experiment, a piece of nickel was placed in some copper(II) sulfate solution. Write the full balanced equation for this reaction

Answer 1

Ni (s) + CuSO₄ (aq) → Cu (s) + NiSO₄ (aq)

Step-by-step explanation:

The problem at hand involves writing the full balanced chemical equation for the reaction that occurs when a piece of nickel is placed in a copper(II) sulfate solution. This reaction is a classic example of a single displacement reaction, where a more reactive metal (nickel in this case) displaces a less reactive metal (copper) from its compound.

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Step 1: Identifying the Reactants and Products

• Reactants: Nickel (Ni) and Copper(II) Sulfate (CuSO₄)

• Products: Nickel(II) Sulfate (NiSO₄) and Copper (Cu)

Step 2: Writing the Unbalanced Equation

The unbalanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

⇒ Ni (s) + CuSO₄ (aq) → Cu (s) + NiSO₄ (aq)

Step 3: Balancing the Equation

To balance this equation, we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

1. There is one atom of Ni on both sides, so nickel is balanced.
2. There is one atom of Cu on both sides, so copper is balanced.
3. There is one sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻) on both sides, so sulfate is balanced.

The equation is already balanced as:

∴ Ni (s) + CuSO₄ (aq) → Cu (s) + NiSO₄ (aq)