Pamantasan ng Cabuyao

College of Computing and Engineering

COE 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

Copyright Disclaimer
Fair use of a Copyrighted Work as defined insect. 185 of R.A. 8293, which states, The fair use of copying, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching 1
including multiple copies for classroom use, research and similar purposes is not an infringement of copyright “This lecture handouts are prepared and
compiled by Prof. Bernie B. Domingo solely for students of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (PnC) under the college of Computing and Engineering enrolled in
Chemistry for Engineering students for A.Y. 2020-2021.
 Pamantasan ng Cabuyao
College of Computing and Engineering
COE 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

LECTURE HANDOUTS
WEEK 5 – ELECTROCHEMISTRY and ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY
Objectives:1. Determine the standard reduction potentials based on the standard hydrogen electrode
reference and use them to calculate the emf of a cell and hence the spontaneity of a cell
reaction. A relationship exists between a cell’s emf, the change in the standard Gibbs free
energy, and the equilibrium constant for the cell reaction.
2.Identify the emf of a cell under nonstandard state conditions can be calculated using the
Nernst equation.
3. Examine several common types of batteries and the operation of fuel cells.

GALVANIC CELLS
When a piece of zinc metal is placed in a CuSO4 solution,Zn is oxidized to Zn2+ ions while Cu2+ ions are
reduced to metallic copper

The electrons are transferred directly from the reducing agent (Zn) to the oxidizing agent (Cu2+) in solution.
However, if we physically separate the oxidizing agent from the reducing agent, the transfer of electrons
can take place via an external conducting medium (a metal wire). As the reaction progresses, it sets up a
constant flow of electrons and hence generates electricity (that is, it produces electrical work such as
driving an electric motor). The experimental apparatus for generating electricity through the use of a
spontaneous reaction is called a galvanic cell or voltaic cell, after the Italian scientists Luigi Galvani and
Alessandro Volta, who constructed early versions of the device. The figure shows the essential
components of a galvanic cell. A zinc bar is immersed in a ZnSO4 solution, and a copper bar is immersed
in a CuSO4 solution. The cell operates on the principle that the oxidation of Zn to Zn2+ and the reduction of
Cu2+ to Cu can be made to take place simultaneously in separate locations with the transfer of electrons
between them occurring through an external wire. The zinc and copper bars are called electrodes. This
particular arrangement of electrodes (Zn and Cu) and solutions (ZnSO4 and CuSO4) is called the Daniell
cell. By definition, the anode in a galvanic cell is the electrode at which oxidation occurs and the cathode
is the electrode at which reduction occurs.

Copyright Disclaimer
Fair use of a Copyrighted Work as defined insect. 185 of R.A. 8293, which states, The fair use of copying, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching 2
including multiple copies for classroom use, research and similar purposes is not an infringement of copyright “This lecture handouts are prepared and
compiled by Prof. Bernie B. Domingo solely for students of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (PnC) under the college of Computing and Engineering enrolled in
Chemistry for Engineering students for A.Y. 2020-2021.
 Pamantasan ng Cabuyao
College of Computing and Engineering
COE 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

For the Daniell cell, the half-cell reactions, that is, the oxidation and reduction reactions at the
electrodes, are

that unless the two solutions are separated from each other, the Cu21 ions will react directly with the
zinc bar:

and no useful electrical work will be obtained.

To complete the electrical circuit, the solutions must be connected by a conducting medium through
which the cations and anions can move from one electrode compartment to the other. This
requirement is satisfied by a salt bridge, which, in its simplest form, is an inverted U tube containing an
inert electrolyte solution, such as KCl or NH4NO3, whose ions will not react with other ions in solution
or with the electrodes. During the course of the overall redox reaction, electrons flow externally from
the anode (Zn electrode) through the wire to the cathode (Cu electrode). In the solution, the cations
(Zn2+, Cu2+, and K+) move toward the cathode, while the anions (SO42+ and Cl-) move toward the anode.
Without the salt bridge connecting the two solutions, the buildup of positive charge in the anode
compartment (due to the formation of Zn2+ ions) and negative charge in the cathode compartment
(created when some of the Cu2+ ions are reduced to Cu) would quickly prevent the cell from operating.
An electric current flows from the anode to the cathode because there is a difference in electrical
potential energy between the electrodes. This flow of electric current is analogous to that of water
down a waterfall, which occurs because there is a difference in gravitational potential energy, or the
flow of gas from a high-pressure region to a low-pressure region. Experimentally, the difference in
electrical potential between the anode and the cathode is measured by a voltmeter

Practical setup of the

galvanic cell. Note the
U tube (salt bridge)
connecting the two
beakers. When the
concentrations of
ZnSO4 and CuSO4 are
1 molar (1 M) at 25°C

Copyright Disclaimer
Fair use of a Copyrighted Work as defined insect. 185 of R.A. 8293, which states, The fair use of copying, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching 3
including multiple copies for classroom use, research and similar purposes is not an infringement of copyright “This lecture handouts are prepared and
compiled by Prof. Bernie B. Domingo solely for students of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (PnC) under the college of Computing and Engineering enrolled in
Chemistry for Engineering students for A.Y. 2020-2021.
 Pamantasan ng Cabuyao
College of Computing and Engineering
COE 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

Copyright Disclaimer
Fair use of a Copyrighted Work as defined insect. 185 of R.A. 8293, which states, The fair use of copying, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching 4
including multiple copies for classroom use, research and similar purposes is not an infringement of copyright “This lecture handouts are prepared and
compiled by Prof. Bernie B. Domingo solely for students of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (PnC) under the college of Computing and Engineering enrolled in
Chemistry for Engineering students for A.Y. 2020-2021.
 Pamantasan ng Cabuyao
College of Computing and Engineering
COE 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

http://mmsphyschem.com/elecChem.pdf

https://science.maheshtutorials.com/images/mhtcet_2016_notes/chemistry/Electrochemistry.pdf

Copyright Disclaimer
Fair use of a Copyrighted Work as defined insect. 185 of R.A. 8293, which states, The fair use of copying, criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching 5
including multiple copies for classroom use, research and similar purposes is not an infringement of copyright “This lecture handouts are prepared and
compiled by Prof. Bernie B. Domingo solely for students of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (PnC) under the college of Computing and Engineering enrolled in
Chemistry for Engineering students for A.Y. 2020-2021.