Displacement Reactions - Definition, Types, Applications, FAQs

Displacement Reactions - Definition, Types, Applications, FAQs

Team Careers360Updated on 02 Jul 2025, 04:30 PM IST

Define Displacement Reaction and give an example of double displacement reaction.

Displacement Reaction Definition: Displacement Reactions are extremely important chemistry processes. They are employed in a variety of fields in a variety of ways. For example, we employ electroplating, which is based on displacement reaction, to keep iron objects from rusting. The term "displacement reaction" refers to a reaction in which a portion of one reactant is displaced by another reactant. It's also known as a substitution reaction. As a result of the replacement of one reactant ion by another reactant ion.

Example: 2K+MgCl2->2KCl+Mg

This example shows the displacement of magnesium from magnesium chloride by potassium which is more reactive than magnesium.

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Types of displacement reaction:

Define Single displacement reaction. Give single displacement reaction examples.

  • Single displacement reactions are those in which one element replace another element from its compound. Single replacement reactions are another name for this type of reaction.

A+B-C→A-C+B

Example: Zn+CuSO4->ZnSO4+Cu

This is a single displacement reaction in which zinc is more reactive than copper, thus zinc displaces the copper from copper sulfate and forms zinc sulfate and copper.

Define Double displacement reaction.

  • Double displacement reaction definition: Double displacement reaction are those in which two chemicals react by exchanging ions to produce two new molecules. Positive ions exchange negative ion partners in double replacement processes. Ionic chemicals dissolved in water undergo a lot of double displacement processes. The general equation represents a twofold replacement reaction.

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AB+CD→AC+BD

Atoms from two distinct compounds swap positions in a double displacement process. Two chemicals serve as reactants, while two compounds serve as products. Consider the following scenario: Fe2O3+6HCl→2FeCl3+3H2O

There are two types of Displacement reaction:

Neutralisation Reaction: The acid-base process produces salt (which is naturally neutral) and water. For example, sodium chloride and water are generated when an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid is mixed with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.

NaCl+H2O →NaOH+HCl

Precipitation reaction: The precipitate is generated in a solution during chemical reaction in this reaction. When silver nitrate and sodium chloride are mixed in water, a white curdy silver chloride precipitate is created.

AgNO3+NaCl →AgCl2+NaNO3

Applications of Displacement Reaction:

  • Welding with thermite: The reaction of aluminium and ferrous oxide to produce molten iron, which is used to weld rail rails.

2Al+Fe2O3 → Al2O3+2Fe

Aluminum is placed above the iron in the reactive series, thus aluminum is more reactive than iron which displaces iron from iron oxide to form aluminum oxide and iron.

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Blast furnace: The iron is removed from its ore Fe2O3, which is used to make steel, in a blast furnace. Carbon replaces Ferrous in the process, resulting in carbon dioxide. The reaction is: 3C+2Fe2O3→ 3CO2+4Fe

Carbon displaces the iron from the iron oxide forming carbon dioxide and iron.

Metal extraction: Metals are formed by heating metal combinations in the presence of carbon. When a Cr2O3 combination is heated, chromium is produced. The reaction will be:

3C+2Cr2O3→3CO2+4Cr

Carbon dioxide is produced by displacing chromium oxide by carbon.

  • Indigestion of acids: When we have an acidity problem, we should take sodium hydrogen carbonate, which removes hydrogen from the acid HCl. The reactions is:

NaHCO3+HCl → H2CO3+NaCl.

Displacement Reaction Examples:

Single displacement reaction examples –

  • Displacement of copper from copper sulphate –

Zn+CuSO4 → ZnSO4+Cu

  • Displacement of silver from silver nitrate –

Cu+2AgNO3 →CuNO3+2Ag

  • Displacement of copper from copper sulphate –

Fe+CuSO4 →Cu+FeSO4

  • Displacement of copper from copper chloride –

Pb+CuCl2 →Cu+PbCl2

  • Displacement of sodium from sodium bromide –

Cl2+2NaBr →2NaCl+Br2

NCERT Chemistry Notes :

Double displacement reaction examples -

  • Displacement of aluminum from aluminum trichloride and potassium from potassium chloride –

KNO3+AlCl3→Al(NO3)3+KCl

  • Displacement of lead from lead nitrate and potassium from potassium iodide –

Pb(NO3)2+2KI→2KNO3+PbI2

  • Displacement of barium from barium hydroxide and iron from iron chloride –

FeCl3+Ba(OH)2→Fe(OH)2+BaCl2

  • Displacement of sodium from sodium sulphate and lead from lead nitrate –

Pb(NO3)2+Na2SO4 →PbSO4+2NaNO3

  • Displacement of barium from barium chloride and copper from copper sulphate –

BaCl2+CuSO4 →BaSO4+CuCl2

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