Single+Displacement+Brock

__**Single Displacement**__

A single displacement reaction is when one element replaces a similiar element in a compound. The equation is set up like this: A + BC => B + AC

An example of a single displacement reaction is: solid aluminum reacts with hydrogen chloride to form aqueous aluminum chloride and gaseous hydrogen. To put this sentence into an equation we just do what it says, so the equation is: Al + HCl => AlCl3 + H2

The problem with this equation is it's not balanced. To balance it, putting a 2 in front of HCl balances it but not Cl. So we must but a higher number, 6. Then we put a 2 in front of AlCl3 to balance the chlorine. We then put a 2 in front of Al to balance the aluminum. And finally we put a 3 in front of H2 (3H2) to balance the hydrogen. The final balanced equation appears as: 2Al(s) + 6HCl => 2AlCl3(aq) + 3H2(g)

To make sure we balanced it correctly, we use the chart:

__2__ Al __2__ __6__ H __6__ __6__ Cl __6

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