📚 CBSE Grade-10 Study Guide Open in the Study Guide single page app →
HomeScience

Science — CBSE Class 10 board question

Q1. [1]
A metal, M, displaces iron from aqueous solution of ferrous sulphate but fails to do so in case of aqueous solution of aluminium sulphate. The metal M is
  1. A Magnesium
  2. B Copper
  3. C Lead
  4. D Zinc
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 31/5/1 Q2
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:48 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Option D — Zinc

Zinc is more reactive than iron but less reactive than aluminium in the activity series, so it displaces Fe from FeSO₄ but cannot displace Al from Al₂SO₄.

Explanation

The activity series order is: Al > Zn > Fe > Cu. A metal displaces only those metals that are below it in the series. Zinc is below aluminium (cannot displace it) but above iron (can displace it). Magnesium is above both, so it would displace both. Copper and Lead are below iron, so they cannot displace iron either. Zinc is the only option that fits both conditions in the question.

If a question refers to an image, map, graph or diagram that is not shown here, open the Study Guide single page app, go to Library and find the actual CBSE question paper. The original papers are also available on the CBSE website: cbse.gov.in.
Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.