electrode potentials Flashcards
what is the process of oxidation and reduction expressed in terms of
electron transfer
oxidation
loss of electrons
reduction
gain of electrons
oxidation is an increase in
oxidation state
reduction is a decrease in
oxidation state
what can we work out by assigning oxidation states
which species have been oxidised and which have been reduced without writing half equations
oxidising agent
species that accepts electrons
reducing agent
species that donates electrons
example of an oxidising agent
halogens
example of a reducing agent
reactive metals
what does an electrochemical cell use the electron transfer which occurs during a redox reaction to do
produce electrochemical energy
what does each electrochemical cell consist of
2 half cells corresponding to the two half equations occurring in the redox reaction
what does a half cell consist of
two species of the same element in different oxidation states
what is the electrode in a copper half cell
solid copper
what is the solution in copper half cell
1 mol dm3 copper 2+ ions
what is the IUPAC convention for writing half equations for electrode reactions
to give them as an equilibrium reaction where the forward reaction is reduction
what must the half cells be connected via in order to make use of the electrical energy produced in a redox reaction
connected via an external circuit and a salt bridge
what is the circuit usually
a conducting wire
what flow through the wire
electrons
what does the salt bridge consst of
a strip of filter paper soaked in saturated potassium nitrate or potassium chloride solution
what flows through the salt bridge
ions
what are the electrodes connected to
a high resistance voltmeter
what does the voltmeter easure
electromotive force (emf) in volts
what is the emf
potential difference