GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE
NATURAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
ONLINE CAMPUS
LABORATORY 6 ELECTROCHEMISTRY: GALVANIC CELLS AND THE CALCULATIONS OF CELL POTENTIAL
STUDENT NUMBER
PROFESSORS TITLE AND NAME
Introduction
Consider the result of immersing a clean copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. A spontaneous change occurs in which the solution turns from colorless to blue and the copper wire that was initially clean is covered with a greyish fuzzy material (Stubbs et al., 2022). These changes are a result of the processes of oxidation and reduction. Copper undergoes oxidation to produce copper (II) ions, Cu2+, (aq), which cause the clear solution to turn blue, while the silver (I) ions in the silver nitrate solution undergo reduction, producing elemental silver, which forms a greyish deposit on the copper wire (Stubbs et al., 2022). The copper metal undergoes oxidation and is thus referred to as the anode, while the silver undergoes reduction and is referred to as the cathode (Stubbs et al., 2022).
Oxidation is the process by which an ion, atom, or molecule loses electrons during a chemical reaction, while reduction is the process by which atoms or ions gain electrons during a chemical reaction (Stubbs et al., 2022). The cathode is the electrode with lower electron potential, and hence, electrons flow towards it. Conversely, the anode has high potential and electrons flow away from it (Stubbs et al., 2022). Electrons are transferred spontaneously from the elementary copper wire to the silver ions in the solution (Stubbs et al., 2022). This is a redox reaction, which is a reaction characterized by changes in the reactants oxidation states (Stubbs et al., 2022).
The overall redox reaction for the reaction between copper and silver can be represented as follows:
2Ag+ (aq) + Cu (s) ?2Ag(s) + Cu2+ (aq).(i)
This equation can further be split into two half reactions that separate the reduction and oxidation reactions:
Oxidation: Cu(s) ? Cu2+ (aq) +2e?(ii)
Reduction: 2Ag+ (aq) +2e? ?2Ag(s)(iii)
The reduction reaction (iii) is doubled so that the number of electrons gained in reduction equals that lost in oxidation.
Now consider a case where the two electrodes (cathode and anode) are placed in separate containers and hence, there is no physical contact between the reactants. In such a case, electrons are transferred indirectly with the help of an external circuit connecting the two reactants (Stubbs et al., 2022). This kind of arrangement is an electrochemical cell characterized by the transfer of electrons from the cathode to the anode via an external circuit (Stubbs et al., 2022). An electrochemical cell in which the redox reaction is spontaneous is referred to as a galvanic or voltaic cell (Stubbs et al., 2022).
Consider a zinc-copper galvanic cell as shown in figure 1 below:
Figure 1: Zinc-copper galvanic cell
The two reactants (1M Cu(No3) and 1M Zn(No3) are placed in separate containers, and a clean copper and zinc rod placed in the two solutions respectively. The ends of both rods are connected using a wire to a voltmeter to create an external circuit joining the two containers. Thus, both rods serve as electrodes. At this point, however, there is negligible electron flow through the wire since the circuit is open. To close the circuit, a non-reactive, concentrated electrolyte solution, such as sodium chloride, is used as a salt bridge (Stubbs et al., 2022). The salt bridge is an inert solution used to provide electrical contact between the two containers. This reaction can also be represented by a cell notation as shown below:
Zn(s)?1MZn2+ (aq) ? 1MCu2+ (aq)?Cu(s)
Based on the above context, this laboratory seeks to realize the following objectives:
i) To enhance understanding of the construction of, and principles behind galvanic cell.
ii) To enhance understanding of spontaneous electrochemical reactions.
iii) To...
Conclusion
This laboratory sought to enhance understanding of the construction of, and principles behind galvanic cell, as well as spontaneous electrochemical reactions. The galvanic cell is based on the concepts of oxidation and reduction in the anode and cathode electrodes of the cell respectively. The galvanic cell is made up of two half-cells that are connected via an external circuit. Oxidation is the process by which an anode molecule, atom, or ion loses electrons, while reduction is the process by which the cathode gains electrons. This laboratory investigated the magnesium-iron galvanic cell. The left half-cell comprised of a magnesium anode rod immersed in an aqueous solution of magnesium chloride, while the right half-cell comprised of an inert platinum cathode immersed in an aqueous mixture of iron (II) and iron (III) chloride solutions. The salt bridge was a filter paper saturated with aqueous potassium nitrate solution. Since magnesium is more reactive than platinum, it donates electrons in the oxidation process, which leads the solid magnesium to dissolve and form aqueous magnesium ions. As a result, the mass of the anode rod reduces. The electrons flow to the cathode, where reduction of iron (III) ions takes place, leading to the formation of gaseous iron (II) ions. There is no change in mass of the inert platinum cathode. The movement of anions and cations from the salt bridge…
References
Lumen Learning (2024). Module 17: Electrochemistry, Galvanic cells. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/chemistryformajors/chapter/galvanic-cells/
Stubbs, A, Taylor, N., Stokes, R., Murray, B., Burrows, K., Derbogosian, M., Raphael ,S ., Bowen, S., & Sharma, L.(2022). Jacaranda chemistry 1. John Wiley & Sons.
Page 11 of 11
Cell Metabolism Define metabolism, anabolism, and catabolism in full details The cell is a complex organisms in which many chemical reaction take place so as to maintain normal cellular function. Cell metabolism can be defined as the process through which cells manufacture ATP which provides energy to the cells. Cells have evolved to form highly efficient metabolic mechanisms which differ depending on the cell. Aerobic respiration is responsible for cellular energy needs
Cell Junctions - Tight Junctions and Adherens Junctions There are a number of specialized junctional complexes in epithelial cells, formed by molecules that are different from CAMs and SAMs. These comprise of tight junctions, gap junctions, adherens junctions, and desmosomes; gap junctions can in addition form stuck between cell aggregates in condensing mesenchyme. All of these are well-formed and sometimes elaborate supramolecular structures carrying out various functions, ranging from electrical and
Cell Phones Should Be Banned In the contemporary era, cell phones have turned out to be one of the most essential every day requirements. There was a time when possessing a cell phone was regarded a luxurious thing. However, in the present times, it has become really common to own a cell phone. It is not an untold secret that children, especially the teenagers, are using the cell phones just like
Enzymes 1. How does temperature affect enzyme function? Every enzyme demonstrates maximum activity at a particular temperature known as its optimum temperature. Generally, all enzymes are inactivated at temperatures below 10°C and get denatured (lose its three-dimensional protein nature) above its optimum temperature (Seager & Slabaugh 2010). Experiments conclude that enzyme activity increases by almost ten percent coupled to each degree rise in temperature until it reaches its optimum state and declines beyond
The industry has had many players, but the top one that has emerged have had to play smart to get to the top. In today's world with the increasing need for faster and effective mode of communication, the cell phone has become an essential. The market has also grown incredibly over the year Gregory () . The competition is extremely stiff since the products serve the similar purposes. Product differentiation
Cell Phone and the Brain Cell phone usage has become part of daily life for many Americans. As with any new technology, health risks associated with cell phones are not always apparent and take time to surface. As popularity of this technology increases, so does the research surrounding this topic. One concern leading to an increase in research surrounding this topic is the amount of radiation emitted by a mobile device.
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now