is the reaction between Copper sulfate and zn exothermic or endothermic and does that involve the activity series?

Yes, it involves the activity series. The reaction is

Zn + CuSO4 ==> ZnSO4 + Cu

Here is a site you can find delta H formation values.
https://www.delsearegional.us/academic/classes/highschool/science/chemistry/firstyear/reference/referencesheets/heats.pdf
dHrxn = (n*dH products) - (n*dH reactants).
I believe dHrxn is negative which makes it exo?/endo?/thermic

Exothermic

The reaction between Copper sulfate (CuSO4) and Zinc (Zn) is an exothermic reaction. This means that it releases heat energy during the reaction. To determine whether a reaction is exothermic or endothermic, we can consider the enthalpy change (∆H) of the reaction.

In this case, when Zinc reacts with Copper sulfate, Zinc displaces Copper from the compound, forming Zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and Copper metal (Cu). The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

Zn + CuSO4 -> ZnSO4 + Cu

To determine whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic, we can look at the activity series. The activity series is a list of metals, arranged in order of their reactivity. Metals higher in the activity series can displace metals lower in the series from their compounds.

In this case, Zinc (Zn) is higher than Copper (Cu) in the activity series. Therefore, Zinc can displace Copper from Copper sulfate. As a result, the reaction proceeds and releases energy in the form of heat, making it an exothermic reaction.

To determine the activity series of metals, you can refer to a chemistry textbook or search online resources. It provides a useful guide to predict the outcome of redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions, such as the displacement reaction between Zinc and Copper sulfate.