When a piece of solid lead (Pb) is placed in an aqueous solution of zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)2), a single replacement reaction can occur because lead is a more reactive metal than zinc in this context. In this reaction, lead displaces zinc from the zinc nitrate solution.
The net ionic equation for this reaction can be derived from the full ionic equation. First, we write the full ionic equation:
Full ionic equation:
Pb (s) + Zn2+ (aq) + 2 NO3- (aq) → Pb2+ (aq) + Zn (s) + 2 NO3- (aq)
In this equation, we see that the nitrate ions (NO3–) do not participate in the reaction and remain unchanged on both sides, allowing us to eliminate them when writing the net ionic equation.
Net ionic equation:
Pb (s) + Zn2+ (aq) → Pb2+ (aq) + Zn (s)
This equation shows that solid lead reacts with zinc ions to produce lead ions and solid zinc. This change highlights the nature of single replacement reactions where a more reactive metal displaces a less reactive one in a solution.