Displacement reactions involve a more reactive metal pushing out (displacing) a less reactive metal from its compound. For example, in a displacement reaction magnesium displaces copper from copper sulfate solution, leaving copper metal and magnesium sulfate solution as products. The reaction cannot happen in reverse because copper is less reactive than magnesium. Displacement reactions can be used to investigate the reactivity of metals by arranging them in a reactivity series from most reactive to least reactive.