ELECTROCHEMISTRY: VOLTAIC CELLS Introduction

An electrochemical reaction is a chemical reaction that involves reduction and oxidation. Oxidation-reduction reactions are the second fundamental type of chemical reaction. Redox reactions as they are often called are simply reactions that involve the transfer of electrons from one chemical species to another. This electron transfer will obviously shift the ratio of the protons to electrons on the atoms involved and will thus affect the oxidation number of the atoms. Atoms that gain electrons are said to have been reduced (their oxidation number goes down) and atoms that have lost electrons are said to have been oxidized. The energy released in a spontaneous redox reaction can be used to do electrical work. This is accomplished using a voltaic (or galvanic) cell, a device in which the transfer of electrons occurs through an external pathway rather than directly between reactants. Redox chemistry is the basis of the field called electrochemistry. It should be easy to see why the name electrochemistry fits these reactions so well, as they always involve the transfer of electrons from one chemical species to another. One important consequence of electrochemical reactions occurs if you separate the oxidizing agent from the reducing agent, connecting them only with electrodes, a wire, and salt bridge you create an electrochemical cell. Doing so forces the electrons to travel through the wire from the reducing agent to the oxidizing agent and so creates an electrical current (the units of current are Amperes, or Coulombs/second). If a particular redox reaction is thermodynamically spontaneous, then the electrons will transfer spontaneously and a current will be produced. An electrochemical cell that generates a current is called a voltaic or galvanic cell. One is probably most familiar with these types of cells as batteries. If the reaction is not spontaneous, then an electrical current (i.e., electrons) are required to make the reaction proceed. An electrochemical cell that uses a current is called an electrolytic cell. Using a Voltage Probe to measure the potential of a voltaic cell, one could find the identity of unknown metals relating them to a table of known standard reduction potentials. Hypothesis: If one was to test the unknown electrodes A and B, then the results would show that A is Aluminum and B is Zinc.

Materials
Vernier Computer Interface Computer Voltage Probe Three 10mL Graduated Cylinders 24-well test plate Salt Bridge Paper Cu and Pb electrodes Two unknown electrodes, labeled X and Y 150 mL beaker ,1M copper (II) nitrate, Cu(NO3)2, solution .1M Lead (II) nitrate, Pb(NO3)2, solution 1.0M copper (II) sulfate. CuSO4, solution .05M potassium iodide, KI solution .1M A nitrate solution .1M B nitrate solution Steel wool Plastic Beral Pipets

Method
For procedure, reference Advanced Chemistry with Vernier: Electrochemistry: Voltaic cells. Safety Guidelines: Wear safety goggles at all times and do not dispose of anything containing Pb (lead) down the sink.

Results
Observations: From these results, we determined that A is aluminum and B is Zinc.

Sketches/Diagrams:

Data Tables: Results of Parts I and II Average cell potential (v)

Cu/Pb .4597

A/Pb 1.050 Cu concentration .02889 E* +0.76V +0.34V +0.34V +0.13V +0.39V +3.32V +0.13V +2.37V +0.13V

B/Pb .4475 Pb/PbI2 .09828 E*cell +1.10V +0.47V +3.71V +2,50V +0.89V

Results of Part III Average cell potential (V) Electrodes Zn Cu Cu Pb Pb Al Pb Mg Pb

Half-Reactions Zn(s) -> Zn2+ + 2eCu2+ + 2e- -> Cu(s) Cu(s)-> Cu2+ + 2ePb2+ + 2e- -> Pb(s) 3Pb(s) -> 3Pb2+ + 6e2Al3+ + 6e- -> 2Al (s) Pb(s) -> Pb2+ + 2eMg2+ + 2e- -> Mg(s) Pb(s) -> Pb2+ + 2e-

Zn Pb Ag

Zn(s) -> Zn2+ + 2ePb(s) -> Pb2+ + 2e2Ag+ + 2e- -> 2Ag(s)

+0.76V +0.13V +1.6V

+1.73V

Calculations: E=E* - (RT/nF)lnQ At Room Temperature: E=E*- (.0591/n) logQ E=.5469 E=E* - (.0591/n) logQ .09828 = (-.0591/2) log(dilute) log(concentrated) .09828= (-.0591/2) log(x) log(.05)

Questions
1. (Part I) Compare the average cell potential, for your Cu/Pb cell, with the E* cell that you calculated in the pre-lab exercise. Explain why your cell potential is different from the text value. Ones cell potential could be different due to human and technological error such as not having good connections established or having correct concentrations. Also, it is impossible to extract the real amount of voltage. 2. (Part II) The unknown metals A and B were either magnesium, silver, aluminum, or zinc. Use the text value for the reduction potential of Pb and the measured cell potentials for the unknowns to identify A and B. A would be aluminum B would be zinc. 3. (Part III) Use the Nernst equation to calculate the theoretical value of E of the copper-concentration cell and compare this value with the cell potential that you measured. E=E* - (RT/nF) lnQ E=.5469 This Value is off by .01 4. (Part III) Use the Nernst equation and the information that you collected about the Pb/PbI2 cell to complete the following calculations.

a. Use the cell potential for the Pb-PbI2 cell and the known [Pb2+] to calculate the [Pb2+] in equilibrium with PbI2. E= E* (-.0591/n) log Q .09828 = (-.0591/2) log(dilute) log(concentrated) .09828= (-.0591/2) log(x) log(.05)

Conclusions
Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to prepare a variety of semi-micro scale voltaic cells in a 24-well test plate to find the different cell potentials each electrode had and identify them based on those statistics. The lab also helped the student learn the actual process of such reactions and taught them the method and procedure that one had to take to find the answer leading up to it. Hypothesis: The hypothesis was supported as the metals that were guessed turned out to be the correct ones. Explanation of Results: Sources of error could include the devices used for measurements, human error, or simply the probability that the reaction did not occur as intended. Human error such as mixing the wrong concentrations or not attaching the electrodes properly could have occurred leading to faulty results. Things such as measurement and rounding could have affected the results as well as one could lose track of significant figures. Student Learning: The student would learn the actual process of finding the cell potentials of metals. Going through this procedure, the student will be able to better comprehend the chemistry behind this reaction and how it works, applying to a means which we can actually observe instead of working on it using theoretical problems. The student will also get introduced to a process which they might use in the future during one of their careers such as coating metals with other metals for oxidation purposes. Applications: There are various extremely important electrochemical processes in both nature and industry, like the coating of objects with metals or metal oxides through electrode position and the detection of alcohol in drunken drivers through the redox reaction of ethanol. The generation of chemical energy through photosynthesis is inherently an electrochemical process, as is production of metals like aluminum and titanium from their ores. Certain diabetes blood sugar meters measure the amount of glucose in the blood through its redox potential. The nervous impulses in neurons are also based on electric current generated by the movement of sodium and potassium ions into and out of cells, and certain animals like eels can generate a powerful voltage from certain cells that can disable much larger animals. Bibliography:

Randall, Jack, and Sally Ann. Vonderbrink. Electrochemistry: Voltaic Cells.Advanced Chemistry with Vernier: Experiments for AP, IB, and College General Chemistry. Beaverton: Vernier Software & Technology, 2007. 2-13. Print.

Zumdahl, Steven S. Chemistry. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 2005. Print.