Question

Combine iron and copper (II) sulfate solution. (Hint: Iron will form the iron (III) ion)

A) Fe + CuSO4 → Fe2(SO4)3 + 3Cu
B) Fe + CuSO4 → 2FeSO4 + Cu
C) Fe + CuSO4 → FeSO4 + Cu
D) Fe + CuSO4 → Fe2(SO4)2 + 3Cu

Answer 1

Combining iron with copper(II) sulfate solution results in iron displacing copper, forming iron(II) sulfate and metallic copper due to iron's higher position in the activity series.

Step-by-step explanation:

When combining iron (Fe) with copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4) solution, the resulting chemical reaction is as follows:

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

In this single replacement reaction, iron displaces copper from copper(II) sulfate due to iron's higher reactivity. The oxidation number of iron increases from zero in its elemental state to +2 in the iron(II) sulfate compound, forming Fe2+ ions in solution with SO42− ions. Concurrently, the oxidation state of copper decreases from +2 to 0, resulting in the formation of metallic copper (Cu0). This reaction is consistent with the activity series where iron is above copper and therefore, more likely to donate electrons.