What primary factor determines whether one element can displace another from its compound?
Relative reactivity of the elements involved
A displacement reaction happens only when the free element holds on to the combining partner more strongly than the element already in the compound does — that is, when it is the more reactive of the two.
The reactivity series arranges elements in that order, and an element higher in the series turns out the one below it: zinc displaces copper from copper sulphate, while copper cannot displace zinc from zinc sulphate.
Atomic mass, physical state and how dilute the solution is affect the rate or the conditions, but none of them decides whether the displacement can occur at all.
Hence, the answer is Relative reactivity of the elements involved.
Similar Questions
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\(3\,\text{MnO}_2\,(s) + x\,\text{Al}\,(s) \rightarrow 3\,\text{Mn}\,(l) + y\,\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3\,(s) + \text{Heat}\)
What type of ions exchange between reactants in a double displacement reaction?
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Fe + H2O4 → Fe3O4 + H2
Which statement best explains why this step is INCORRECT?
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Statement II: Metals below hydrogen in the reactivity series do not produce hydrogen gas with dilute acids.
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Important Questions from Chemical Reaction
Which of the following statement is/are true?
I. In physical change new substance is formed. substance is formed.
II. In chemical change no new substance is formed.
Which of the following cells involves similar chemical reactions?
The information not obtained from balanced chemical equation is
Oxygen cannot be obtained by which one of the following methods?
Which of the following statement is correct?
I. Insoluble salt is obtained by precipitation reaction.
II. Addition of oxygen or loss of hydrogen is called oxidation.
