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Why are metal displacement reactions exothermic?
- I'm doing a research paper on the causes of exothermic reactions. I need to know why there is a release of heat in the reaction between zinc and copper(II) sulphate.
Judy
3/27/99
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The reaction Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq) Cu(s) + Zn2+(aq) is spontaneous and exothermic. To figure out exactly where the heat released comes from, we'll have to break the reaction down into simpler steps. Hess's law says that it doesn't matter how many
steps we chose to write; the enthalpy changes for each step will add up to the enthalpy change for the net reaction.
One possible way of analyzing the reaction involves breaking it into separate sublimation, ionization, and hydration steps:
- Convert the aqueous copper(II) into gaseous copper(II).
Cu2+(aq) Cu2+(g) H° = +2289 kJ
This process is endothermic because strong attractive ion-dipole forces between the copper(II) ion and the water must
be overcome to vaporize the ion.
- Convert gaseous copper(II) into gaseous copper.
Cu2+(g) + 2 e- Cu(g) H° = -2703.4 kJ
This process is the reverse of ionization; H is equal to minus the sum of the first and second ionization enthalpies for copper. Capture of electrons by a cation is always exothermic.
- Convert gaseous copper into solid copper.
Cu(g) Cu(s) H° = -337.4 kJ
H for condensation of gaseous copper is minus the heat of formation for gaseous copper. The process is exothermic because strong metallic bonds are formed in the condensation.
- Convert the solid zinc into gaseous zinc.
Zn(s) Zn(g) H° = +130.5 kJ
Vaporization of solid zinc is endothermic because strong metallic bonds are being broken.
- Convert gaseous zinc into gaseous Zn2+.
Zn(g) Zn2+(g) + 2 e- H° = +2639 kJ
Ionization of zinc atoms is endothermic because the strong attraction the valence electrons have for the nucleus must be overcome.
- Convert gaseous Zn2+ into aqueous Zn2+.
Zn2+(g) Zn2+(aq) H° = -2247 kJ
Hydration of zinc ion is exothermic because strong water-ion attractions are formed.
Adding all of these steps together gives
Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq) Cu(s) + Zn2+(aq) H° = -229 kJ
with a reaction enthalpy that is probably good to +/- 30 kJ, given the uncertainties in the hydration enthalpies we used.
Although the reaction doesn't actually proceed by a series of sublimation-ionization-hydration steps,
the calculation does give us a valuable insight into where the energy is actually coming from in the reaction.
Try the following questions to explore some reasonable deductions that can be made about the significance of ion-water interactions, metallic bonding, and attraction for valence electrons in determining the sign on H in this reaction.
References
- Heats of formation and ionization energies were adapted from data given in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 58th ed.
- Enthalpies of hydration were converted from Fajan's data given in Physical Chemistry, E. A. Moelwyn-Hughes, 2nd ed., Pergamon, Belfast 1961, p. 875. The original reference is Z. Elektrochem., 34, 502 (1928).
Author: Fred Senese senese@antoine.frostburg.edu |