<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >
Q = I × t = n × F

Where t is the time in seconds, n the number of moles of electrons, and F is the Faraday constant.

Moles of electrons can be used in stoichiometry problems. The time required to deposit a specified amount of metal might also be requested, as in the second of the following examples.

Converting current to moles of electrons

In one process used for electroplating silver, a current of 10.23 A was passed through an electrolytic cell for exactly 1 hour. How many moles of electrons passed through the cell? What mass of silver was deposited at the cathode from the silver nitrate solution?

Solution

Faraday’s constant can be used to convert the charge ( Q ) into moles of electrons ( n ). The charge is the current ( I ) multiplied by the time

n = Q F = 10.23 C s × 1 hr × 60 min hr × 60 s min 9 6,485 C/mol e = 36,830 C 96,485 C/mol e = 0.381 7 mol e

From the problem, the solution contains AgNO 3 , so the reaction at the cathode involves 1 mole of electrons for each mole of silver

cathode: Ag + ( a q ) + e Ag ( s )

The atomic mass of silver is 107.9 g/mol, so

mass Ag = 0.3817 mol e × 1 mol Ag 1 mol e × 107.9 g Ag 1 mol Ag = 4 1.19 g Ag

Check your answer: From the stoichiometry, 1 mole of electrons would produce 1 mole of silver. Less than one-half a mole of electrons was involved and less than one-half a mole of silver was produced.

Check your learning

Aluminum metal can be made from aluminum ions by electrolysis. What is the half-reaction at the cathode? What mass of aluminum metal would be recovered if a current of 2.50 × 10 3 A passed through the solution for 15.0 minutes? Assume the yield is 100%.

Answer:

Al 3+ ( a q ) + 3 e Al ( s ) ; 7.77 mol Al = 210.0 g Al.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Time required for deposition

In one application, a 0.010-mm layer of chromium must be deposited on a part with a total surface area of 3.3 m 2 from a solution of containing chromium(III) ions. How long would it take to deposit the layer of chromium if the current was 33.46 A? The density of chromium (metal) is 7.19 g/cm 3 .

Solution

This problem brings in a number of topics covered earlier. An outline of what needs to be done is:

  • If the total charge can be determined, the time required is just the charge divided by the current
  • The total charge can be obtained from the amount of Cr needed and the stoichiometry
  • The amount of Cr can be obtained using the density and the volume Cr required
  • The volume Cr required is the thickness times the area

Solving in steps, and taking care with the units, the volume of Cr required is

volume = ( 0.010 mm × 1 cm 10 mm ) × ( 3.3 m 2 × ( 10,000 cm 2 1 m 2 ) ) = 33 cm 3

Cubic centimeters were used because they match the volume unit used for the density. The amount of Cr is then

mass = volume × density = 33 cm 3 × 7.19 g cm 3 = 237 g Cr
mol Cr = 237 g Cr × 1 mol Cr 52.00 g Cr = 4.56 mol Cr

Since the solution contains chromium(III) ions, 3 moles of electrons are required per mole of Cr. The total charge is then

Q = 4.56 mol Cr × 3 mol e 1 mol Cr × 96485 C mol e = 1.32 × 10 6 C

The time required is then

t = Q I = 1.32 × 10 6 C 33.46 C/s = 3.95 × 10 4 s = 11.0 hr

Check your answer: In a long problem like this, a single check is probably not enough. Each of the steps gives a reasonable number, so things are probably correct. Pay careful attention to unit conversions and the stoichiometry.

Check your learning

What mass of zinc is required to galvanize the top of a 3.00 m × 5.50 m sheet of iron to a thickness of 0.100 mm of zinc? If the zinc comes from a solution of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 and the current is 25.5 A, how long will it take to galvanize the top of the iron? The density of zinc is 7.140 g/cm 3 .

Answer:

231 g Zn required 446 minutes.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Key concepts and summary

Using electricity to force a nonspontaneous process to occur is electrolysis. Electrolytic cells are electrochemical cells with negative cell potentials (meaning a positive Gibbs free energy), and so are nonspontaneous. Electrolysis can occur in electrolytic cells by introducing a power supply, which supplies the energy to force the electrons to flow in the nonspontaneous direction. Electrolysis is done in solutions, which contain enough ions so current can flow. If the solution contains only one material, like the electrolysis of molten sodium chloride, it is a simple matter to determine what is oxidized and what is reduced. In more complicated systems, like the electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride, more than one species can be oxidized or reduced and the standard reduction potentials are used to determine the most likely oxidation (the half-reaction with the largest [most positive] standard reduction potential) and reduction (the half-reaction with the smallest [least positive]standard reduction potential). Sometimes unexpected half-reactions occur because of overpotential. Overpotential is the difference between the theoretical half-reaction reduction potential and the actual voltage required. When present, the applied potential must be increased, making it possible for a different reaction to occur in the electrolytic cell. The total charge, Q , that passes through an electrolytic cell can be expressed as the current ( I ) multiplied by time ( Q = It ) or as the moles of electrons ( n ) multiplied by Faraday’s constant ( Q = nF ). These relationships can be used to determine things like the amount of material used or generated during electrolysis, how long the reaction must proceed, or what value of the current is required.

Key equations

  • Q = I × t = n × F

Chemistry end of chapter exercises

Identify the reaction at the anode, reaction at the cathode, the overall reaction, and the approximate potential required for the electrolysis of the following molten salts. Assume standard states and that the standard reduction potentials in Appendix L are the same as those at each of the melting points. Assume the efficiency is 100%.

(a) CaCl 2

(b) LiH

(c) AlCl 3

(d) CrBr 3

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

What mass of each product is produced in each of the electrolytic cells of the previous problem if a total charge of 3.33 × 10 5 C passes through each cell? Assume the voltage is sufficient to perform the reduction.

(a) mass Ca = 69.1 g mass Cl 2 = 122 g ; (b) mass Li = 23.9 g mass H 2 = 3.48 g ; (c) mass Al = 31.0 g mass Cl 2 = 122 g ; (d) mass Cr = 59.8 g mass Br 2 = 276 g

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

How long would it take to reduce 1 mole of each of the following ions using the current indicated? Assume the voltage is sufficient to perform the reduction.

(a) Al 3+ , 1.234 A

(b) Ca 2+ , 22.2 A

(c) Cr 5+ , 37.45 A

(d) Au 3+ , 3.57 A

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

A current of 2.345 A passes through the cell shown in [link] for 45 minutes. What is the volume of the hydrogen collected at room temperature if the pressure is exactly 1 atm? Assume the voltage is sufficient to perform the reduction. (Hint: Is hydrogen the only gas present above the water?)

0.79 L

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

An irregularly shaped metal part made from a particular alloy was galvanized with zinc using a Zn(NO 3 ) 2 solution. When a current of 2.599 A was used, it took exactly 1 hour to deposit a 0.01123-mm layer of zinc on the part. What was the total surface area of the part? The density of zinc is 7.140 g/cm 3 . Assume the efficiency is 100%.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Questions & Answers

Three charges q_{1}=+3\mu C, q_{2}=+6\mu C and q_{3}=+8\mu C are located at (2,0)m (0,0)m and (0,3) coordinates respectively. Find the magnitude and direction acted upon q_{2} by the two other charges.Draw the correct graphical illustration of the problem above showing the direction of all forces.
Kate Reply
To solve this problem, we need to first find the net force acting on charge q_{2}. The magnitude of the force exerted by q_{1} on q_{2} is given by F=\frac{kq_{1}q_{2}}{r^{2}} where k is the Coulomb constant, q_{1} and q_{2} are the charges of the particles, and r is the distance between them.
Muhammed
What is the direction and net electric force on q_{1}= 5µC located at (0,4)r due to charges q_{2}=7mu located at (0,0)m and q_{3}=3\mu C located at (4,0)m?
Kate Reply
what is the change in momentum of a body?
Eunice Reply
what is a capacitor?
Raymond Reply
Capacitor is a separation of opposite charges using an insulator of very small dimension between them. Capacitor is used for allowing an AC (alternating current) to pass while a DC (direct current) is blocked.
Gautam
A motor travelling at 72km/m on sighting a stop sign applying the breaks such that under constant deaccelerate in the meters of 50 metres what is the magnitude of the accelerate
Maria Reply
please solve
Sharon
8m/s²
Aishat
What is Thermodynamics
Muordit
velocity can be 72 km/h in question. 72 km/h=20 m/s, v^2=2.a.x , 20^2=2.a.50, a=4 m/s^2.
Mehmet
A boat travels due east at a speed of 40meter per seconds across a river flowing due south at 30meter per seconds. what is the resultant speed of the boat
Saheed Reply
50 m/s due south east
Someone
which has a higher temperature, 1cup of boiling water or 1teapot of boiling water which can transfer more heat 1cup of boiling water or 1 teapot of boiling water explain your . answer
Ramon Reply
I believe temperature being an intensive property does not change for any amount of boiling water whereas heat being an extensive property changes with amount/size of the system.
Someone
Scratch that
Someone
temperature for any amount of water to boil at ntp is 100⁰C (it is a state function and and intensive property) and it depends both will give same amount of heat because the surface available for heat transfer is greater in case of the kettle as well as the heat stored in it but if you talk.....
Someone
about the amount of heat stored in the system then in that case since the mass of water in the kettle is greater so more energy is required to raise the temperature b/c more molecules of water are present in the kettle
Someone
definitely of physics
Haryormhidey Reply
how many start and codon
Esrael Reply
what is field
Felix Reply
physics, biology and chemistry this is my Field
ALIYU
field is a region of space under the influence of some physical properties
Collete
what is ogarnic chemistry
WISDOM Reply
determine the slope giving that 3y+ 2x-14=0
WISDOM
Another formula for Acceleration
Belty Reply
a=v/t. a=f/m a
IHUMA
innocent
Adah
pratica A on solution of hydro chloric acid,B is a solution containing 0.5000 mole ofsodium chlorid per dm³,put A in the burret and titrate 20.00 or 25.00cm³ portion of B using melting orange as the indicator. record the deside of your burret tabulate the burret reading and calculate the average volume of acid used?
Nassze Reply
how do lnternal energy measures
Esrael
Two bodies attract each other electrically. Do they both have to be charged? Answer the same question if the bodies repel one another.
JALLAH Reply
No. According to Isac Newtons law. this two bodies maybe you and the wall beside you. Attracting depends on the mass och each body and distance between them.
Dlovan
Are you really asking if two bodies have to be charged to be influenced by Coulombs Law?
Robert
like charges repel while unlike charges atttact
Raymond
What is specific heat capacity
Destiny Reply
Specific heat capacity is a measure of the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius (or Kelvin). It is measured in Joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg°C).
AI-Robot
specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius or kelvin
ROKEEB
Got questions? Join the online conversation and get instant answers!
Jobilize.com Reply
Practice Key Terms 4

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Chemistry. OpenStax CNX. May 20, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11760/1.9
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Chemistry' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask