Sulaimany polytechnic university

Petroleum and energy engineering department 2nd stage

Electrochemistry

Prepared by: Ahmed Adeeb karim

Supervisor: Ahlam Shakoor

ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL

Date: june12th 2020

2019-2020

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Table of contents

1. title p1
2. table of content p2
3. abstract p3
4. introduction p(4-5)
5. meathods and materials p6
6. results p (7-8)
7. discussion p9
8. conclusion p10
9. bibliography p11

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Abstract
This report will provide every detail about how electrochemical cells work, made of, functions
and their use in the world.

therefore the main objective of this report is to show and demonstrate what is electrochemical
cells.

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Introduction

A device that uses a chemical reaction to produce or use electricity is an electrochemical cell,
also known as a voltaic cell. Because the liquid state allows reactions to occur more readily than
in either solids or gases, most electrochemical cells are built using a liquid called an electrolyte,
a solution that contains ions and conducts electricity. This word has previously been mentioned
with regard to ionic dissociation. Pure, distilled water is a very poor conductor of electricity, but
a high concentration of dissolved ions leads to high conductivity. That is why acids, bases, and
salts that ionize to a high degree are referred to as strong electrolytes, while those that ionize
only slightly are referred to as weak electrolytes.

A simple electrochemical cell can be made from two test tubes connected with a third tube (the
crossbar of the “H”), as shown in Figure 1. The hollow apparatus is filled by simultaneously
pouring different solutions into the two test tubes, an aqueous solution of zinc sulfate into the left
tube and a copper (II) sulfate solution into the one on the right. Then a strip of zinc metal is
dipped into the ZnSO 4 solution; a piece of copper is inserted into the CuSO 4 solution; and the
two ends of the metal strips are connected by wires to a voltmeter. The lateral connecting tube
allows ionic migration necessary for a closed electrical circuit. The voltmeter will show the
electrical potential of 1.10 volts, which leads to the movement of electrons in the wire from the
zinc electrode toward the copper electrode.

The electric current is caused by a pair of redox reactions. At the zinc electrode, the metallic zinc
is slowly being ionized by an oxidation reaction:

An electrode at which oxidation occurs is called an anode; it strongly attracts negative ions in
the solution, and such ions are consequently called anions.

Simultaneously, a reduction reaction at the copper cathode causes Cu 2+ cations to be deposited

onto the electrode as copper metal:

Because negatively charged electrons are flowing from the anode to the cathode, the anode
becomes the positive electrode. The cathode is, therefore, the negative electrode.

Figure 1. A voltaic cell.

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Adding the reactions at the two electrodes gives

which is the overall redox reaction in the zinc‐copper cell. (cliffs notes, 2020)

General Representation of Electrochemical Cells

Parameter Cathode Anode

Positive due to consumption Negative due to release of

Sign
of electrons electrons

Reaction Reduction Oxidation

Movement of electrons Into the cell Out of Cell

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Methods and materials

The data that exists in this report had been provided from researches and reports and websites
from the internet, it is worth mentioning that there are no respondents in this report because its
only theoretical and there is no practical procedure, that means scientific experiments have not
been exercised in the lab of my university.
It is worth saying that no problems had been encountered.

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Results and findings

Half-Cells and Cell Potential

 Electrochemical Cells are made up of two half-cells, each consisting of an electrode

which is dipped in an electrolyte. The same electrolyte can be used for both half cells.
 These half cells are connected by a salt bridge which provides the platform for ionic
contact between them without allowing them to mix with each other. An example of a
salt bridge is a filter paper which is dipped in a potassium nitrate or sodium chloride
solution.
 One of the half cells of the electrochemical cell loses electrons due to oxidation and the
other gains electrons in a reduction process. It can be noted that an equilibrium reaction
occurs in both the half cells, and once the equilibrium is reached, the net voltage becomes
0 and the cell stops producing electricity.
 The tendency of an electrode which is in contact with an electrolyte to lose or gain
electrons is described by its electrode potential. The values of these potentials can be
used to predict the overall cell potential. Generally, the electrode potentials are measured
with the help of the standard hydrogen electrode as a reference electrode (an electrode of
known potential).

Primary and Secondary Cells

 Primary cells are basically use-and-throw galvanic cells. The electrochemical reactions
that take place in these cells are irreversible in nature. Hence, the reactants are consumed
for the generation of electrical energy and the cell stops producing an electric current
once the reactants are completely depleted.
 Secondary cells (also known as rechargeable batteries) are electrochemical cells in which
the cell has a reversible reaction, i.e. the cell can function as a Galvanic cell as well as an
Electrolytic cell.
 Most of the primary batteries (multiple cells connected in series, parallel, or a
combination of the two) are considered wasteful and environmentally harmful devices.
This is because they require about 50 times the energy they contain in their
manufacturing process. They also contain many toxic metals and are considered to be
hazardous waste.

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Types of Electrochemical Cells
The two primary types of electrochemical cells are
1. Galvanic cells (also known as Voltaic cells)
2. Electrolytic cells
The key differences between Galvanic cells and electrolytic cells are tabulated below.

Galvanic Cell / Voltaic Cell Electrolytic Cell

Chemical energy is transformed into electrical Electrical energy is transformed into chemical
energy in these electrochemical cells. energy in these cells.

An input of energy is required for the redox

The redox reactions that take place in these
reactions to proceed in these cells, i.e. the reactions
cells are spontaneous in nature.
are non-spontaneous.

In these electrochemical cells, the anode is

These cells feature a positively charged anode and a
negatively charged and the cathode is
negatively charged cathode.
positively charged.

The electrons originate from the species that Electrons originate from an external source (such as
undergoes oxidation. a battery).

Applications of Electrochemical Cells

 Electrolytic cells are used in the electrorefining of many non-ferrous metals. They are
also used in the electrowinning of these metals.
 The production of high-purity lead, zinc, aluminium, and copper involves the use of
electrolytic cells.
 Metallic sodium can be extracted from molten sodium chloride by placing it in an
electrolytic cell and passing an electric current through it.
 Many commercially important batteries (such as the lead-acid battery) are made up of
Galvanic cells.
 Fuel cells are an important class of electrochemical cells that serve as a source of clean
energy in several remote locations.
(byjus, 2019)

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Discussion

Electrochemical cells are very important and they are very vital for absolutely everything,
because nearly everything on this planed needs electricity and energy to work properly and
electrochemical cells provides that needed energy. For example they are inside phones, laptops,
cars, ships, factories, etc….

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Conlusion

in conclusion it is obvious that in the light of the previous information , electrochemical cells are
easy to manufacture and easy to use, therefore they are part of our lives .

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Bibliography

Bibliography
(n.d.).
byjus. (2019). Retrieved from byjus: https://byjus.com/chemistry/electrochemical-cell/
cliffs notes. (2020). Retrieved from houghton mifflin harcourt.

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