# Explain why zinc can displace copper from copper sulfate solution, but copper cannot displace zinc from zinc sulfate solution.

> Cambridge International IGCSE Chemistry (0620) — 9.4 Reactivity series · Explain · 4 marks

> A student places a piece of zinc metal into copper sulfate solution and observes that the blue colour fades and a reddish-brown solid forms. When the experiment is repeated using copper metal in zinc sulfate solution, no change is observed.

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Zinc is higher/more reactive than copper (in the reactivity series)
2. A more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from its salt solution
3. Copper is less reactive than zinc / copper cannot displace zinc because copper is lower in the reactivity series
4. Therefore no reaction occurs when copper is placed in zinc sulfate solution

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