Iron is more reactive than copper. Can you write an activity to show this?
Answer:
Testing reactivity of metals
- Set up the two test tubes as shown in the figure.
- Take a clean copper nail and an iron nail.
- Place the copper wire in a solution of iron sulphate and the iron nail in a solution of copper sulphate.
- Write your observations after sometime.
- In which test tube do you find that a reaction has occurred?
You will observe that the reaction has occurred in the test tube containing iron nail and copper sulphate solution. Iron takes the sulphate away from copper. You see that a reaction takes place and copper is left by itself. Now, we can say that iron has displaced copper from copper sulphate.
Copper sulphate + Iron---------► Iron sulphate + Copper
In such a reaction, the more reactive metal displaces the less reactive metal. Thus, the above activity shows that iron is more reactive than copper.