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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: wushu093 on February 25, 2005, 08:13:40 PM

Title: single displacement experiment
Post by: wushu093 on February 25, 2005, 08:13:40 PM

 i did a single displacement experiment using surface area as the independent variable. i used a copper (II) nitrate solution, and used powdered zinc, powdered nickle, and small pices of aluminum, as well as larger versions of each of the aforementioned elements.  according to the activity series, they all should have reacted, but only zinc did. aluminum and nickel, in either of their forms, failed to react.  does anybody know why this may have happened?

Title: Re:single displacement experiment
Post by: Donaldson Tan on March 07, 2005, 07:32:49 AM

aluminium reacts with air so readily that it has an  oxide layer. this oxide layer inhibited the displacement reaction by preventing contact of aluminium metal with the copper(II) ions in solution.

I am not sure about Ni but i guess the same thing happen for Ni metal. alternatively, try displacing Cu with Ni using a more concentrated solution.

Title: Re:single displacement experiment
Post by: wushu093 on March 08, 2005, 10:11:57 PM

hey this is wushu093, thanks for the response, i alreayd handed my project in, but thanks, it was bugging me not knowing, atleast i can sleep at night now  :P.