Copper Plating Experiment
Single Displacement Reaction: Iron + Copper Sulfate
Observe the single displacement reaction where iron displaces copper from copper sulfate solution. Watch as copper plates onto the iron nail and the blue color of the solution fades!
Reaction Progress
Fe + CuSO₄ → FeSO₄ + Cu
Time: 0 seconds
Observation:
When an iron nail is placed in copper sulfate solution, a reddish-brown coating of copper forms on the nail, and the blue color of the solution fades.
The Science Behind Copper Plating
Key Concepts:
Single displacement reaction occurs when a more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from its compound:
- Iron is more reactive than copper in the reactivity series
- Iron atoms lose electrons to form Fe²⁺ ions (oxidation)
- Cu²⁺ ions gain electrons to form copper atoms (reduction)
- The blue color fades as Cu²⁺ ions are removed from solution
Chemical Equation:
Fe(s) + CuSO₄(aq) → FeSO₄(aq) + Cu(s)
This is an example of a redox reaction where both oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously.
