Voltaic Cell Lab Report

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Introduction: Oxidation-Reduction reactions involve the transfer of electrons in a chemical reaction. The application of the study of oxidation-reduction reactions is referred to as, electrochemistry. An easier way to observe redox reactions is to examine the reactions separately; known as half-reactions. During oxidation reactions, the oxidation number of an element is increased. Reversely, in reduction reactions, the oxidation number is decreased. For the oxidation-reduction reaction to occur, the two half-reactions must be combined to form a redox reaction. For easy comparison, all half-cell reactions depicted as reductions, and the tendency for reduction to occur is known as the reduction potential, “E.” When the conditions are standard at 25ºC with 1M concentrations, the reduction potential is referred to as the standard reduction potential, “E°.” Both potentials are measured in volts. There are several standard potentials that have been measured and recorded. Voltaic/Galvanic cells are a particular type of redox reaction that involves the creation of a spontaneous electric current. To measure the electric current being transferred between the two half-cells, a voltmeter (or other measuring instrument) must be used. In the oxidation half-cell, the soluble salt along with its companion metal, known as the electrode, is placed in the solution and connected to the voltmeter wire; the same is done for the reduction half-cell. Oxidations occur at the anode (-) of the voltmeter and reductions take place at the cathode (+). The half-cells are connected by a salt-bridge, which allows the flow of ions and creates stability. The cell potential and the standard cell potentials can be calculated using the equation: (1) E=E cathode – E anode & (2) E°=E cathode – E anode. When the voltage is a positive reading at standard conditions, the reaction is considered

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