LABORATORY ASSIGNMENT REPORT

SKF3023: KIMIA FIZIK (B)

Semester 03 Session 2021/2022

ID NUMBER AND NAME NORFADILA BINTI ABDULNUR

D20201095458
LECTURER DR. NORLAILI BINTI ABU BAKAR

LINK ADDRESS OF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXko8KS1tqk

EXPERIMENT VIDEO

TITLE DETERMINATION OF EMF OF THE CELL

CHECK LIST (Please tick) Marks

Title 5
Objective(s) 5
Methods 10
Results (Observation, Data, 30
Calculation, etc.)
Discussions and questions 35
& answers (if appropriate)
Conclusion(s) 10
References (at least 2) 5
TOTAL MARKS 100

Department of Chemistry
Faculty of Science and Mathematics
UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS
TITLE
Determination of EMF of the cell

OBJECTIVE
Able to study the variation of cell potential of Zn│Zn2+ ││Cu2+│Cu cell with change in the
concentration of electrolytes (CuSO4 and ZnSO4) at room temperature.

INTRODUCTION

The cell potential, Ecell or E.M.F, is the measure of the potential difference between two
half cells in an electrochemical cell. The potential difference is caused by the ability of
electrons to flow from one half cell to the other. Electrons are able to move between
electrodes because the chemical reaction is a redox reaction. A redox reaction occurs when a
certain substance is oxidized, while another is reduced. During oxidation, the substance loses
one or more electrons, and thus becomes positively charged. Conversely, during reduction,
the substance gains electrons and becomes negatively charged. This relates to the
measurement of the cell potential because the difference between the potential for the
reducing agent to become oxidized and the oxidizing agent to become reduced will determine
the cell potential. The cell potential (Ecell) is measured in voltage (V), which allows us to
give a certain value to the cell potential.

Daniell cell

The Daniell cell was invented by a British chemist, John Frederic Daniell. In the Daniell cell,
copper and zinc electrodes are immersed in a solution of copper sulphate (II), CuSO4 and
zinc sulphate (II), ZnSO4 respectively. The two half cells are connected by a salt bridge. Zinc
acts as the anode and copper as the cathode. At the anode, the zinc is oxidized to form zinc
ions and electrons. The zinc ions pass into the solution. When the two electrodes are
connected with an external wire, the electrons generated by the oxidation of zinc travel
through the wire and enter the copper cathode, where they reduce the copper ions present in
the solution and form copper atoms that are deposited on the cathode.

The anodic reaction is represented as:

The cathodic reaction is represented as:

Apparatus Chemical reagents
Digital Voltmeter 0.1 M CuSO4
Beaker (50 mL) 0.1 M ZnSO4
Salt bridge Zinc rod
Connecting wire Copper rod
Measuring cylinder (50 mL)

Constant: Type of electrode

Responding: Voltmeter reading, V
Manipulated: Concentration of electrolyte, M

PROCEDURES
1. 1M copper sulphate, CuSO4 and 1M zinc sulphate, ZnSO4 solution placed into beaker
labelled A and B respectively.
2. Clean copper rod and zinc rod dipped into beaker labelled A and B respectively.
3. The two solutions connected through salt bridge.
4. The copper rod and zinc rod connected to positive terminal and negative terminal of
the digital voltmeter by using connecting wires respectively since copper act as
cathode while zinc act as anode.
5. The voltmeter switched on and the reading noted down and the E.M.F values
recorded.
6. The result recorded on the tabular column table and the experiment repeated by taking
different concentration of copper sulphate and zinc sulphate solution.

RESULT

Constant concentration of CuSO4 solution, 1M

Concentration of Concentration of E.M.F of cell, V

ZnSO4 solution, 1M CuSO4 solution, 1M
1 1 1.1
0.5 1 1.108
0.025 1 1.147
0.0125 1 1.156

Constant concentration of ZnSO4 solution, 1M

Concentration of Concentration of E.M.F of cell, V

ZnSO4 solution, 1M CuSO4 solution, 1M
1 1 1.1
1 0.5 1.091
1 0.025 1.052
1 0.0125 1.043
DISCUSSION

Zinc atoms, Zn from the zinc electrode is oxidized to zinc ions, Zn2+, because zinc is higher
in the activity series than copper. Therefore, it is more easily oxidized.

Zn(s) → Zn2+ (aq) + 2e-

The electrode where the oxidation takes place is called the anode. The zinc anode gradually
decreases during the operation of the cell due to the loss of zinc metal. The zinc ion
concentration in the half cell increases. Due to the production of electrons at the anode, this is
called the negative electrode.

The electrons produced at the zinc anode travel through the outer wire and are displayed on
the voltmeter. They continue to travel to the copper electrode.

The electrons enter the copper electrode where they combine with the copper(II) ions in the
solution and reduce them to copper metal.

Cu2+(aq) + 2e- → Cu (s)

The electrode where the reduction occurs is called the cathode. The mass of the cathode
gradually increases due to the production of copper metal. The concentration of copper(II)
ions in the half-cell solution decreases. The cathode is the positive electrode.

Ions move through the salt bridge to maintain electrical neutrality in the cell. In the cell,
sulphate ions move from the copper side to the zinc side to balance the decrease in Cu 2+ and
the increase in Zn 2+.

The two half-reactions can again be summed to obtain provide the overall redox reaction
occurring in the voltaic cell.

Cu2+ (aq) + Zn (s) → Zn2+ (aq) + Cu (s)

According to the Nernst Equation:

RT
Ecell =E ⁰− lnQ
nF

[ metal ion formed by oxidation ]

Where Q is the reaction quotient relating to
metal ion reduced

When the concentration of Cu2+ decreased, the value Q increased. By increasing the value of
Q, the magnitude of the term −RTnFln (Q) is increased. This means that a larger number is
subtracted from the E0 of the cell, and that the cell voltage decreases emf.
When the concentration of Zn2+ decreased, the value of Q decreased. By decreasing the value
of Q to a fraction, the value of the term −RTnFln (Q) is made positive. This means that this
term is added to the E0 of the cell, and that the cell voltage increases emf.

This is consistent with the Le Châtelier's Theorem. Essentially, increasing the relative
concentration of your reactants drives the reaction forward (higher ΔV), and increasing the
relative concentration of your products drives the reaction backwards (lower ΔV).

COCLUSION

The variation of E.M.F values can be observed by changing the concentration of electrolyte
in anode or cathode. EMF of the cell increases with decrease in concentration of the
electrolyte around the anode and increase in concentration of the electrolyte around cathode.

REFFERENCES

Electrochemical Cells: The Daniell Cell (July 26, 2021). Retrieved from
https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/science/chemistry/electrochemical-
cells-the-daniell-cell-194214
Daniell Cell (2013). Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/daniell-cell
Galvanic Cells (Nov 6, 2020). Retrieved from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/General_Chemistry/Book
%3A_ChemPRIME_(Moore_et_al.)/17%3A_Electrochemical_Cells/
17.08%3A_Galvanic_Cells