20.10 – 20.11    Student Notes

 

       B.   Aqueous Electrolysis

              1.    Water can be oxidized or reduced in a half reaction.

                     a.    Reduce water to

                          

b.             Oxidize water to

                          

2.             Electrolysis of Sulfuric Acid Solutions

a.              Possible half-reactions at the cathode

 

 

                     b.    Possible half-reaction at the anode

                          

c.    Overvoltage –

d.    Net cell reaction is the _______________. H2SO4 was used

              3.    Electrolysis of Sodium Chloride Solutions

a.    Depends on the concentration of the Cl- (according to the Nernst equation): high concentration of Cl- then ____is the product; low concentration of Cl- then _____is the product

b.    Chlor-alkali membrane cell –

c.    Chlor-alkali mercury cell –

              4.    Electroplating of Metals

a.    Electrogalvanizing – (zinc electroplating) –

                     b.    Purify some metals

                     c.    Predicting the Half-Reactions in an Aqueous Electrolysis

What do you expect to be the half reactions in the electrolysis of aqueous copper (II) sulfate?

 

       C.   Stoichiometry of Electrolysis

              1.    Faraday’s Laws

a.   

b.   

2.    One Faraday (9.65 x 104 C) is equivalent

              3.    Electric charge =     

                     Coulombs   =

                     Amperes – A –

4.    Calculating the Amount of Charge from the Amount of Product in an Electrolysis

When an aqueous solution of copper (II) sulfate, CuSO4, is electrolyzed, copper metal is deposited.

Cu2+ (aq) + 2 e- ŕ Cu (s)

(The other electrode reaction gives oxygen: 2 H2O ŕ O2 + 4 H+ + 4 e-.) If a constant current was passed for 5.00 h and 404 mg of copper metal was deposited, what was the current?

 

5.    Calculating the Amount of Product from the Amount of Charge in an Electrolysis

When an aqueous solution of potassium iodide is electrolyzed using platinum electrodes, the half-reactions are

2 I- (aq) ŕ I2 + 2 e-

2 H2O (l) + 2 e- ŕ H2 (g) + 2 OH- (aq)

How many grams of iodine are produced when a current of 8.52 mA flows through the cell for 10.0 min?