Background research:
Redox reactions includes the two reactions called oxidation and reduction. Oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons, loss of hydrogen and gain of oxygen. Reduction, on the other hand, is defined as the gain of electrons, gain of hydrogen and loss of oxygen. Oxidation occurs when there is an increase in oxidation numbers and reduction occurs when there is a decrease in oxidation numbers. Oxidation numbers are values assigned to an atom in a compound which measures the electron control or the possession it has relative to the atom in its pure element. In a redox equation, equations are assigned for separate reactions for oxidation and reduction. These equations are called half-equations. (Brown and Ford, 2008).
For …show more content…
While voltaic cell produces a spontaneous reaction, electrolytic cell uses an external source of voltage to bring about a redox reaction (thus it is non-spontaneous). Electrolysis makes it possible for natural pure elements to be released from their ionic compounds by discharging them through redox reactions. For example, pure zinc can be extracted from zinc chloride (which has a charge of 2+ on the zinc). In industry, a process called electroplating is used to coat one metal with another metal. In this case, zinc will be electroplated onto the negative electrode, the cathode, when the ionic zinc chloride is discharged through reduction processes. At the positive electrode—the anode—chlorine gas will be …show more content…
1C equates to (1/96500) moles of e- and the overall mass determined of the element deposited during electrolysis will be in grams. Since the first law of electrolysis states that the mass is directly proportional to Q (Note that I×t=Q), it also means that time (t) will be directly proportional to the number of electrons passing through the external circuit. (Oxidation and Reduction,
Redox reactions includes the two reactions called oxidation and reduction. Oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons, loss of hydrogen and gain of oxygen. Reduction, on the other hand, is defined as the gain of electrons, gain of hydrogen and loss of oxygen. Oxidation occurs when there is an increase in oxidation numbers and reduction occurs when there is a decrease in oxidation numbers. Oxidation numbers are values assigned to an atom in a compound which measures the electron control or the possession it has relative to the atom in its pure element. In a redox equation, equations are assigned for separate reactions for oxidation and reduction. These equations are called half-equations. (Brown and Ford, 2008).
For …show more content…
While voltaic cell produces a spontaneous reaction, electrolytic cell uses an external source of voltage to bring about a redox reaction (thus it is non-spontaneous). Electrolysis makes it possible for natural pure elements to be released from their ionic compounds by discharging them through redox reactions. For example, pure zinc can be extracted from zinc chloride (which has a charge of 2+ on the zinc). In industry, a process called electroplating is used to coat one metal with another metal. In this case, zinc will be electroplated onto the negative electrode, the cathode, when the ionic zinc chloride is discharged through reduction processes. At the positive electrode—the anode—chlorine gas will be …show more content…
1C equates to (1/96500) moles of e- and the overall mass determined of the element deposited during electrolysis will be in grams. Since the first law of electrolysis states that the mass is directly proportional to Q (Note that I×t=Q), it also means that time (t) will be directly proportional to the number of electrons passing through the external circuit. (Oxidation and Reduction,