3.21 Replacement Reactions
3.21 Replacement Reactions
- Define replacement reaction.
- Contrast single and double replacement reactions.
- Give examples of single and double replacement reactions.
What a job! The man hanging from the burning helicopter in the photo above is a stunt man. He fills in for the
lead actor in the movie in dangerous scenes like this one. Like other stunt workers, he has special training to do
such dangerous work as safely as possible. Replacing actors with stunt workers is common in action movies. Some
chemical reactions also involve replacements. More reactive elements replace less reactive elements in compounds.
These reactions are called replacement reactions.
What Is a Replacement Reaction?
Areplacement reactionoccurs when elements switch places in compounds. This type of reaction involves ions
(electrically charged versions of atoms) and ionic compounds. These are compounds in which positive ions of a
metal and negative ions of a nonmetal are held together by ionic bonds. Generally, a more reactive element replaces
an element that is less reactive, and the less reactive element is set free from the compound. There are two types of
replacement reactions: single and double. Both types are described below.
Q:Can you predict how single and double replacement reactions differ?
A:One way they differ is that a single replacement reaction involves one reactant compound, whereas a double
replacement reaction involves two reactant compounds. Keep reading to learn more about these two types of
reactions.