Question

When an object made of zinc is immersed in a solution of copper (II) sulfate, ________.

A. The copper in the solution of copper (II) sulfate is displaced by zinc

B. Sulfur dioxide is liberated

C. The copper in the solution of copper (II) sulfate is displaced by zinc, but the blue coloration that was in the original solution remains

D. There is no change or reaction in the solution as zinc reacts less than copper

Answer 1

An object made of zinc immersed in a copper (II) sulfate solution will cause a redox reaction where zinc displaces copper, resulting in metallic copper deposition and a colorless zinc sulfate solution.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an object made of zinc is immersed in a solution of copper (II) sulfate, the copper in the solution is displaced by zinc. This is a redox reaction where zinc acts as the reducing agent and copper (II) ions are reduced to metallic copper. The reaction can be represented by the equation:

Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq) → Cu(s) + ZnSO4(aq)

Here, solid zinc reacts with copper (II) sulfate in an aqueous solution, resulting in solid copper and zinc sulfate in solution. The newly formed metallic copper is deposited as very fine particles that can appear black due to their size, while the blue coloration of the copper (II) sulfate solution fades, as the copper ions are removed and replaced by zinc ions. This signifies that the original blue solution becomes colorless as the reaction proceeds. The zinc metal strip will also decay over time as it is oxidized into zinc ions.