C_Heat of

Displacement

1
 Heat of Displacement
• The heat of displacement is the heat change when
one mole of a metal is displaced from its salt
solution by a more electropositive metal.

Example:
Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq)  Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s) H= 210kJmol-1

• In this reaction, 210kJ of heat is produced when one mole

of Copper is displaced from its salt solution by zinc.
• Heat of Displacement of copper is -210kJmol-1

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 Heat of Displacement
Energy

Zn (s) + Cu2+(aq)
 H = 210kJmol1

Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s)

Energy level diagram for

the displacement of copper by zinc
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Experiment 2: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
Apparatus:
250 cm3 polystyrene cups, thermometer, weighing
bottle, electronic balance, 50cm3 measuring
cylinders

Materials :
0.2moldm3 copper(II) sulphate, CuSO4 solution
Copper powder, Magnesium powder

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Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper

Apparatus Set-up
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Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
Procedures:
1. Measure 50cm3 of 0.2moldm3 copper(II) sulphate solution
using a measuring cylinder. Pour it into a polystyrene cup.
2. Leave the polystyrene cup containing the solutions on a table
for five minutes.
3. Measure and record the initial temperature of the solution.
4. Weigh 1g of zinc powder (in excess) using a weighing bottle.
5. Pour the zinc powder quickly and carefully into the copper(II)
sulphate.
6. Stir the mixture using the thermometer while observing the
change in its temperature.
7. Record the highest temperature of the mixtures.
8. Repeat steps 1 to 7 using 1g of magnesium powder to replace
the zinc powder.

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Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
Results:
Initial Highest
Reactants temperature temperature
(C) (C)

Zn + CuSO4 27.0 37.0

Mg + CuSO4 27.5 43.5

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Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
Inference:
Displacement of copper by zinc and magnesium are
exothermic reactions.

Discussion:
1.In both reaction, the blue solution became colourless.
2. A brown solid was formed
3. The heat of displacement of copper by magnesium is
higher than the heat of displacement of copper by zinc. This
is because magnesium is more electropositive than zinc.

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Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
4. Zinc and magnesium powder were used in excess
in both reaction to ensure that all copper(II)
ions in the solution are completely displaced by
zinc and magnesium to form copper.
5. Powder form metal is used in the reaction
because they have larger total surface area
exposed to the reactant. Thus, higher rate of
reaction occured and heat loss to surrounding
can be reduced.

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Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
6. Precautions taken:
i) both zinc and magnesium must in
powder form
ii) The reaction mixture is stirred
continuously with the thermometer until
the maximum temperature is obtained.

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 Experiment 1: Heat of
Displacement of Copper
Calculation
For the reaction between Zn and CuSO 4
Total heat released
 mc 
 50  4.2  (37 .0  27 .0)
 2100 J

Number of moles of CuSO 4

0.2  50

1000
 0.01mol
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Zn(s)  CuSO 4  ZnSO 4  Cu
1 mol 1mol
0.01 mol 0.01 mol

Displaceme nt of 0.01mol of Cu releases 2100J

Displaceme nt of 1 mol of Cu releases
2100
 J
0.01
 210 000 J
 210 kJ

Heat of displaceme nt  - 210kJmol -1

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For the reaction between Mg and CuSO 4
Total heat released
 mc 
 50  4.2  (43 .5  27 .5)
 3360 J

Number of moles of CuSO 4

0.2  50

1000
 0.01mol

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Mg(s)  CuSO 4  MgSO 4  Cu
1 mol 1mol
0.01 mol 0.01 mol

Displaceme nt of 0.01mol of Cu releases 3360J

Displaceme nt of 1 mol of Cu releases
3360
 J
0.01
 336000 J
 336 kJ

Heat of displaceme nt  - 336kJmol -1

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• If reaction is repeated using same volume of
copper sulphate solution but reduce the
concentration to half, then the temperature
change also will be reduced to half

The change of
Volume of Concentration
temperature,
CuSO4 (cm3) (moldm-3)
(C)

50 0.2 10

50 0.1 5

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 Example of numerical problems
involving the Heat of Displacement
The heat of displacement of iron by magnesium is given in
the thermochemical equation below:
Mg (s) + Fe2+ (aq)  Mg2+ (aq) + Fe (s) H= 80kJ mol1

In an experiment using 100cm3 of a solution containing iron(II) ions, Fe2+,

it is found that 5.6g of iron is displaced. Calculate:
a) The heat change during the reaction
b) The rise in temperature of the solution
c) The concentration of the solution used.

[specific heat capacity of solution: 4.2 Jg-1C-1. Density of solution :

1gcm-3, Relative atomic mass of Fe, 56]

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Solution:
(a)
Number of mole of Fe formed
5.6

56
 0.1mol
Given that H  80 kJmol -1
When 1 mol of Fe is displaced, the heat release is 80kJ

Thus,
When 0.1 mol of Fe is displaced, the heat release is
 0.1  80kJ
 8kJ
 8000J

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Solution:
(b)
H  mc 
8000 J  100  4.2  
8000
 C
100  4.2
 19.0 C

c) Mg (s)  Fe 2 (aq)  Mg 2 (aq)  Fe (s)

1 mol 1 mol
0.1 mol 0.1 mol
M(100) 0.1 1000
 0.1 M  1 moldm -3
1000 100

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Practice 4C
1. A student carried out an experiment to investigate the reaction between
magnesium and lead(II) nitrate, Pb(NO3)2.solution.

Excess magnesium powder is added to 100 cm3 of lead(II) nitrate

solution which has an initial solution temperature of 30°C. After
stirring, the temperature of mixture increases to 50 °C.
The thermochemical equation for the reaction is:

Mg(s) + Pb2+ (aq)  Mg2+ (aq) + Pb(s)  –90kJmol–1

What is the concentration of lead(II) nitrate used?

[specific heat capacity of solution: 4.2 Jg-1C-1. Density of solution :

1gcm-3, ]

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2. In an experiment, excess magnesium powder is added to
50cm3 of 0.25 moldm-3 iron(II) sulphate solution at
29.0C. The thermochemical equation is shown below:

Mg(s) + Fe2+(aq)  Mg2+ (aq) + Fe(s)  –0.64kJmol–1

What is the highest temperature reached in this

experiment?
[specific heat capacity of solution: 4.2 Jg-1C-1. Density of
solution : 1gcm-3, ]

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