Final answer:
A single-replacement reaction is a reaction in which one element replaces a similar element in a compound. The periodic table or an activity series can help predict whether this type of reaction will occur. Oxidation numbers must change in a single-replacement reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
A single-replacement reaction is a reaction in which one element replaces a similar element in a compound. For example, in the reaction A+BC → AC + B, element A replaces element B in the compound. This type of reaction is also called a single-displacement reaction. In a single-replacement reaction, the periodic table or an activity series can help predict whether the reaction will occur. Metals typically replace other metals in compounds, while non-metals replace other non-metals.
Oxidation numbers must change in a single-replacement reaction, as two different elements appear as free elements on one side of the equation and as part of a compound on the other side. This makes single-replacement reactions redox reactions.