Explain a single-replacement reaction with an example?
1 Answer
Jan 12, 2016
Let's just take this reaction as an example. Plop some aluminum solid into concentrated aqueous hydrochloric acid to get out aqueous aluminum chloride and hydrogen gas.
#2"Al"(s) + 6"HCl"(aq) -> 2"AlCl"_3(aq) + 3"H"_2(g)#
You can see that:
- Typically, you would see single replacement reactions in the form
#\mathbf(A + BC -> AC + B)# , and this matches that format. You should see#A# "swap" with#B# . (Technically,#C# came onto#A# , but, anyways...) - One reactant is in its elemental state (aluminum), and one product is in its elemental state (hydrogen). Hence, a "solo" reactant "swapped" with a "coupled" component of another reactant, as you would expect single replacement reactions to be.
- The subscript on the anion (chloride) changed. Hence, it now is with a different cation and a different distribution of the same number of chlorides was required to balance charges. (Compare the charge of aluminum cation with that of a hydrogen cation.)
