Electrochemical

cells

Voltaic cells Electrolytic cells

chemical reactions electricity →
→ electricity chemical reactions
 Electrochemical cell – Introduction
Electrochemical cells are devices that can produce
electrical energy from chemical energy and chemical
energy from electrical energy.

The two types of electrochemical cells are:

1.Voltaic cells: These cells
produce electrical energy through
a chemical reaction and are also
known as galvanic cells.

2. Electrolytic cells: These use electrical energy to produce a

chemical reaction.
 Half-cells
Half-cell: a strip of metal into a dipped in solution of its
salt solution
 Half-cells
In a half cell, there is an equilibrium between the metal
and its ion:
 Voltaic cell
When two half-cells are connected, a voltaic cell is formed .
 Voltic cell
The electrochemical cells have a cathode and an anode
electrodes.

Electrodes are made from either metals or graphite.

Electrodes are of two type:

1.Cathode is the electrode at which electrons are

accepted (reduction).
Cu2+(aq) + 2e– ⇌ Cu(s)

2. Anode is an electrode at which the electrons are

released (oxidation).
Zn (s) ⇌ Zn2+ (aq) + 2e-
 Voltic cell

Anode (-) Cathode (+)

Oxidation Reduction
Remember
 Voltaic cell

A voltage or potential
difference will only be
generated between the
electrodes when the circuit
is complete.

Circuit is completed in two ways

1. An external circuit, connected to each metal electrode
2. A salt bridge
 External circuit
An electrical wire, connected to the metal electrode in each
half-cell. Electron movement

External External circuit

circuit

A voltmeter can also be attached to this external circuit

to record the voltage generated.

Electrons always flow around the external circuit from the

negative electrode to the positive electrode.
 Salt bridge
The salt bridge is a glass U- tube or strip of absorptive paper
that contains a concentrated solution of a strong electrolyte.

The solution chosen is often aqueous NaNO 3 or KNO3 as these

ions will not interfere with the reactions at the electrodes
 Reactions in voltaic Cell

Oxidation half reaction at Reduction half reaction at

the anode the cathode
Zn(s) → Zn+2(aq) + 2 e- Cu+2 (aq) + 2 e- → Cu(s)
Overall reaction
Zn(s) + Cu+2(aq) → Zn+2(aq) + Cu(s)
 Voltaic Cell

anode cathode
oxidation reduction

spontaneous
redox reaction

http://www.physics -chemistry-interactive-flash-
animation.com/chemistry_interactive/daniell_cell.htm
 Voltaic Cell – summery

Voltaic cell animation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSqPDD2rMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNG5PMlHSoA
Salt Bridge & its function
Once even one
electron flows
from the anode
to the cathode,
the charges in
each beaker
would not be
balanced and
the flow of
electrons would
stop.
 Salt Bridge & its function
The salt bridge provides an electrical connection between
the two half cells to complete the circuit.

It allows ions to flow into or out of the half cells to balance

out the charges in the half cells (electrical neutrality)
 Voltaic Cell
Different half-cells make voltaic cells with different
voltages.

The direction of electron flow and the voltage generated

will be determined by the difference in reducing strength
of the two metals.

This can be judged by the position of the metals in the

reactivity series.

Greater the gap between metals (reducing agent) in the

activity series, greater the voltage produced
A zinc -copper voltaic cell, the voltage is 1.10V
A zinc-silver voltaic cell, the voltage is 1.56V
Activity series
 Remember flow of
electrons

The stronger the reducing

agent or more reactive
metal, the larger the
voltage (potential
difference) produced.

Anode: Oxidation (OIL) Cathode: Reduction (RIG)

-vely charged +vely charged
 Question
If we make a voltaic cell with one copper electrode
and one silver electrode, what would be the
direction of electron flow? Which metal would be
the anode and which would the cathode?
Copper will be the anode and silver the cathode.
Electrons will flow from copper to silver.
This is due to the greater reducing power of
copper – it has the lower electrode potential.
 Question
Use the metal reactivity series to predict which electrode will be
the anode and which will be the cathode when the following half-
cells are connected. Write half equations for the reactions
occurring at each electrode.
Zn/Zn2+ and Fe/Fe2+
Anode: Zn / Zn2+
Oxidation: Zn(s) → Zn2+ (aq) + 2e−
Cathode: Fe / Fe2+
Reduction: Fe2+(aq) + 2e− → Fe(s)

Mg/Mg2+ and Cu/Cu2+

Anode: Mg / Mg2+
Oxidation: Mg(s) → Mg2+(aq) + 2e−
Cathode: Cu / Cu2+
Reduction: Cu2+(aq) + 2e− → Cu(s)
49. Iron is more reactive than copper.
(i) Draw a labelled diagram of a voltaic cell made from an Fe(s) /
Fe2+(aq) half-cell connected to a Cu(s) / Cu2+(aq) half-cell. In your
diagram identify the positive electrode (cathode), the negative
electrode (anode) and the direction of electron flow in the external
circuit.
correct diagram including
voltmeter/meter, 4 correct
species (state
symbols not required) and
connecting wires;
No credit if wires to electrodes
immersed in the solutions.

labelled salt bridge; Do not accept name of salt (e.g. potassium

nitrate) in place of salt bridge
correctly labelled electrodes (+)/cathode and (–)/anode;
flow of electrons from Fe to Cu in external circuit;
(ii) Deduce the half-equations for the reactions taking place at
the positive electrode (cathode) and negative electrode (anode)
of this voltaic cell.
positive electrode: Cu2+ + 2e– → Cu;
negative electrode: Fe → Fe2+ + 2e–;
Accept e instead of e–. Ignore state symbols. Penalize once
only in equations in (ii) and (iii).

(iii) Deduce the overall equation for the reaction taking

place in the voltaic cell and determine which species acts as
the oxidizing agent and which species has been reduced

Fe + Cu2+ → Fe2+ + Cu;

Ignore state symbols.
Cu2+ is the oxidizing agent and the species that is reduced;
 Question
Draw a voltaic cell with one half-cell consisting of Mg and a
solution of Mg2+ ions and the other consisting of Zn and a
solution of Zn2+ ions. Label the electrodes with name and
charge, the direction of electron and ion movement, and write
equations for the reactions occurring at each electrode.