Question

Examine each of the following pairs of potential reactants. Decide whether or not a reaction would occur. If a reaction occurs, write the balanced equation. If no reaction occurs, write NR. Copper and iron (III) sulfate?

Answer 1

Using the activity series, it is determined that a reaction between copper and iron (III) sulfate will not occur because copper is lower in reactivity than iron, therefore one would write 'NR' for no reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine if a reaction will occur between copper and iron (III) sulfate, we can use the activity series. The activity series is a list of metals arranged according to their reactivity from highest to lowest.

If a metal from the activity series is placed in a solution of ions from another metal that is lower in the series, a single-replacement reaction can be expected. Copper is lower in reactivity compared to iron, which means that copper cannot displace iron from its sulfate compound. Therefore, no reaction would occur, and we write 'NR' to indicate no reaction.

The principles that guide such single-replacement reactions are key in predicting reaction outcomes. In this case, the reaction between copper and iron (III) sulfate would not produce any observable changes or products.