Exercise 8.

(a) With the help of a labelled diagram, describes the manufacture of chlorine by
the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution using a diaphragm cell.

(b) An aqueous solution of sodium chloride 2.00 mol dm -3 is electrolysed for 25.0
minutes using graphite electrodes. The resulting solution is then titrated with
sulphuric acid, 0.250 mol dm-3. If the volume of sulphuric acid needed to complete
titration is 15.50 cm3, calculate the magnitude of the current used during the
electrolysis.
[7 marks, STPM*]

16/4/2020 (Khamis)
Answer:

(a) With the help of a labelled diagram, describes the manufacture of chlorine by
the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution using a diaphragm cell.

Diagram with the label (2)

*Concetrated sodium hydroxide (brine) as the electrolyte
*Anode: Ti , Cathode: Steel
Anode: Oxidation of Cl- to chlorine
2 Cl−  Cl2 + 2e (1)
Cathode: Reduction of H+ to form hydrogen gas
2 H+ + 2e  H2 (1)

(b) An aqueous solution of sodium chloride 2.00 mol dm -3 is electrolysed for 25.0
minutes using graphite electrodes. The resulting solution is then titrated with
sulphuric acid, 0.250 mol dm-3. If the volume of sulphuric acid needed to complete
titration is 15.50 cm3, calculate the magnitude of the current used during the
electrolysis.

The resulting solution formed is sodium hydroxide, NaOH (1)

Mol H2SO4 = (0.250)(15.50)/1000 = 3.88 X 10-3 mol dm-3 (1)

H2SO4 + 2 NaOH  Na2SO4 + 2H2O (1)

Thus, mol NaOH produced from the electrolysis = 2 (3.88 X 10-3) = 7.75 x 10-3 (1)

1 mol NaOH  1 F (Why? How? )

7.75 x 10-3 mol NaOH  7.75 x 10-3 F

Q = It (1)
(7.75 x 10-3)(96500) = I(25.0 X 60) (1)

I = 0.499 A (3 sig fig) (1)