Question

If a silver wire is placed in a beaker containing 1 M Cu(NO3)2, what will happen?

I don't think anything will happen, but what is the right way to explain this is chemical terms?

Answer 1

You're right. Since Ag is below Cu in the activity series, Ag will not displace Cu ions. Here is the way you write that.
Ag(s) + Cu(NO3)2(aq) ==> no reaction [or you can write NR and most chemists understand that means no reaction.]

Answer 2

Thank you!

Can you further explain the significance of the placement of Ag relative to Cu in the activity series and the effect on displacing the Cu^(2+) ions in the Cu(NO3)2 solution? Or where could I find information regarding this topic?

Answer 3

Here is a fairly complete list of the activity series. As you can see it is simply a listing of metals with the most active at the top and the least active at the bottom. Here's how it works. But first, here is the table.
http://www.files.chem.vt.edu/RVGS/ACT /notes/activity_series.html

Any metal will displace a metal ion from solution if the metal is above the metal ion. For example,
Al(s) + Cu(NO3)2(aq) ==> Ag(NO3)2(aq) + Cu(s) (you balance) OR

Na(s) + H2O(l) ==> NaOH(aq) + H2(g) (you balance; also, I know H in H2O is not a metal but H is placed in this table so one can tell which metals will generate hydrogen gas from an acid.) Like this,

Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ==> ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)
BUT
Cu + HCl ==> no reaction because Cu is below H in the activity series.and

Cu(s) + Hg(NO3)2(aq) ==> Hg(l) + Cu(NO3)2(aq)
but
Hg(l) + Cu(NO3)2(aq) ==> NR

Answer 4

DrBob, for your first example should that be Al(NO3)2 or Ag(NO3)2? Because you have Al on the reactant side.