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Ch.19 - Electrochemistry
Chapter 19, Problem 37

Consider a Daniell cell with 1.0 M ion concentrations: Diagram of a Daniell cell showing zinc and copper electrodes with a voltmeter.
Does the cell voltage increase, decrease, or remain the same when each of the following changes is made? Explain. (a) Write a balanced equation for each cell reaction.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Electrochemical Cells

Electrochemical cells, such as the Daniell cell, convert chemical energy into electrical energy through redox reactions. In a Daniell cell, zinc acts as the anode where oxidation occurs, while copper acts as the cathode where reduction takes place. The flow of electrons from the anode to the cathode generates an electric current, which can be measured as voltage.
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Half-Reactions

Half-reactions represent the individual oxidation and reduction processes occurring in an electrochemical cell. For the Daniell cell, the oxidation half-reaction involves zinc losing electrons to form zinc ions (Zn → Zn²⁺ + 2e⁻), while the reduction half-reaction involves copper ions gaining electrons to form solid copper (Cu²⁺ + 2e⁻ → Cu). Balancing these half-reactions is essential for understanding the overall cell reaction.
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Nernst Equation

The Nernst equation relates the cell potential to the concentrations of the reactants and products in an electrochemical reaction. It shows how changes in ion concentration affect the voltage of the cell. For a Daniell cell, increasing the concentration of reactants (like Zn²⁺ or Cu²⁺) can lead to an increase in cell voltage, while decreasing their concentrations can lower the voltage, illustrating the dynamic nature of electrochemical systems.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

How are standard reduction potentials defined?

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Textbook Question

The silver oxide–zinc battery used in watches delivers a voltage of 1.60 V. Calculate the free-energy change (in kilo-joules) for the cell reaction

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Textbook Question

Calculate the standard cell potential and the standard free-energy change (in kilojoules) for the reaction below. (See Appendix D for standard reduction potentials.) <QUESTION REFERENCES APPENDIX D>

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Textbook Question
Sketch a cell with inert electrodes suitable for electrolysis of aqueous CuBr2. (b) Indicate the direction of electron and ion flow.
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Textbook Question

Porous pellets of TiO2 can be reduced to titanium metal at the cathode of an electrochemical cell containing molten CaCl2 as the electrolyte. When the TiO2 is reduced, the O2-ions dis-solve in the CaCl2 and are subsequently oxidized to O2 gas at the anode. This approach may be the basis for a less expensive process than the one currently used for producing titanium.

(a) Label the anode and cathode, and indicate the signs of the electrodes.

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Textbook Question

Porous pellets of TiO2 can be reduced to titanium metal at the cathode of an electrochemical cell containing molten CaCl2 as the electrolyte. When the TiO2 is reduced, the O2-ions dis-solve in the CaCl2 and are subsequently oxidized to O2 gas at the anode. This approach may be the basis for a less expensive process than the one currently used for producing titanium.

(c) Write balanced equations for the anode, cathode, and overall cell reactions.

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