4.2.3

Displacement Reactions - Halogens

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Displacement Reactions - Halogens

More reactive substances can displace (replace) less reactive substances from compounds. For example, chlorine can displace bromine from a compound:

Illustrative background for Displacement reactionIllustrative background for Displacement reaction ?? "content

Displacement reaction

  • Sodium bromide + chlorine → sodium chloride + bromine
    • 2NaBr + Cl2 → 2NaCl + Br2
Illustrative background for Bromide ions (Br<sup>-</sup>)Illustrative background for Bromide ions (Br<sup>-</sup>) ?? "content

Bromide ions (Br-)

  • Bromide ions are oxidised (electrons are lost):
    • 2Br- → Br2 +2e-
Illustrative background for Chlorine (Cl<sub>2</sub>)Illustrative background for Chlorine (Cl<sub>2</sub>) ?? "content

Chlorine (Cl2)

  • Chlorine is reduced (electrons are gained):
    • Cl2 + 2e- → 2Cl-
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Spectator ions

  • The sodium ions are unchanged in the reaction, so we call them spectator ions.

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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