what experiment could you perform in order to determine if iron is more active than copper?
My answer: use a group of of the smae substances and test both of them in each substance separately and observe the changes in the iron nad copper
Have you studied about the activity series. That is a list of metals that shows the reactivity from top to bottom. The most reactive metals are at the top and the least reactive are at the bottom. Here is the important part. Any metal will displace the ion of another metal BELOW it (but will not displace the ion of another metal ABOVE it). So here is what you do.
Place iron wire or bar in CuSO4 solution and see if Cu plates out. It will.
Fe(s) + CuSO4(aq) ==> Cu(s) + FeSO4(aq)
Place Cu in FeSO4 and see if Fe will plate out. It won't.
Cu + FeSO4 ==> No reaction.
This shows that Fe is more active than Cu because Fe will displace Cu(II) ion from its compounds but Cu will not displace Fe(II) from its compounds.
To determine if iron is more active than copper, you can perform a simple experiment called the displacement reaction. Here's how you can set it up:
Materials needed:
1. Iron nail or iron filings
2. Copper sulfate solution
3. Copper wire or copper sulfate powder
4. Test tubes or small containers
5. Water
6. Stirring rod or spoon
Procedure:
1. Start by setting up test tubes or small containers for each substance you will test.
2. Fill each test tube/container with equal amounts of the substances you want to test, one for iron and one for copper.
3. Add water to each container to create a solution if necessary (for example, if you're using copper sulfate powder).
4. If using copper wire, coil it up and place it in one container. If using copper sulfate powder, add it directly to a separate container.
5. Place an iron nail or sprinkle some iron filings in both the iron and copper containers.
6. Use a stirring rod or spoon to gently stir each container, mixing the iron with the substance.
7. Observe any changes that occur in each container over time, paying attention to any visible reactions such as color changes or the formation of solids.
Explanation:
In this experiment, you are creating a combination of iron with copper and observing if any displacement reaction occurs. If iron is more active than copper, it will displace copper ions from the copper sulfate solution or copper solid, leading to a visible reaction.
If a displacement reaction occurs, you will notice changes in color or the formation of a solid. The iron will replace copper in the compound, indicating that iron is more active than copper.
Remember to always conduct experiments safely, following appropriate precautions and guidelines outlined by your educational institution or laboratory.