Question

Which of the following reactions is the metal displacement reaction? Choose the right option.

• A. Noble gases have large positive values of electron gain enthalpy
• B. Noble gases are sparingly soluble in water
• C. Noble gases have very high melting and boiling points
• D. Noble gases have weak dispersion forces

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

First, let's clarify the concept of a metal displacement reaction. In chemistry, a metal displacement reaction is a type of redox reaction. It involves a metal in a compound being displaced by another metal. This typically occurs because the displacing metal is more reactive than the metal being displaced. A typical example is when zinc displaces copper from copper sulfate solution:

\(Zn + CuSO_4 \rightarrow ZnSO_4 + Cu \)

Now, examining the given options, none of them are related to metal displacement reactions. In fact, all four options describe properties of noble gases:

1. Noble gases have large positive values of electron gain enthalpy: Noble gases indeed have positive electron gain enthalpy due to their stable electron configurations.
2. Noble gases are sparingly soluble in water: Noble gases do not easily dissolve in water, consistent with their inert nature.
3. Noble gases have very high melting and boiling points: Actually, this is incorrect. Noble gases have relatively low melting and boiling points due to weak dispersion forces.
4. Noble gases have weak dispersion forces: This is true; noble gases exhibit weak van der Waals forces, leading to low boiling and melting points.

Based on the above explanations, none of the options provided describe a metal displacement reaction. The correct option related to properties of noble gases was incorrectly identified. The correct factual statement about noble gases is:

• Noble gases have weak dispersion forces

This reinforces the understanding that noble gases typically have low melting and boiling points. Conclusively, if we are strictly discussing the options' correctness, it would be option mentioning weak dispersion forces relative to noble gases.