The Reaction: Oxidation-Reduction

When a zinc rod is dipped in copper sulphate solution, a chemical reaction takes place. This reaction is classified as an oxidation-reduction reaction. In this reaction, copper ions in the copper sulphate solution react with zinc atoms on the surface of the zinc rod.

The Process: Displacement

The reaction that takes place is known as a displacement reaction. In this type of reaction, a more reactive metal replaces a less reactive metal in a compound. In this case, zinc is more reactive than copper, so it replaces copper in the copper sulphate solution. The reaction can be written as follows:

Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq) → Cu(s) + ZnSO4(aq)

The Explanation: Formation of Solid Copper

The reaction results in the formation of solid copper on the surface of the zinc rod. This is seen as a red-brown coating on the rod. As the copper ions are used up in the reaction, the blue color of the copper sulphate solution starts fading. This is because the copper ions that were responsible for the blue color are now being converted into solid copper.

The Conclusion: Types of Chemical Reactions

This reaction is an example of an oxidation-reduction reaction, specifically a displacement reaction. In this type of reaction, a more reactive metal replaces a less reactive metal in a compound. This is an important type of reaction in chemistry, and it is important to understand the different types of chemical reactions in order to understand how different substances react with each other.

It's because of reactivity series .

zinc is more reactive than copper so it displaces copper from copper sulphate

rxn is --->
CuSO4+Zn --->. ZnSO4 +Cu

ZnSO4 is colourless