CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

Submitted By

M.Anush

(Reg. No: )

To the Faculty of Chemistry

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the project work of

GRADE XII (CBSE)

Branch of Chemistry

THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL

 Coimbatore
BATCH: 2023-2024

THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL - Coimbatore

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
2023-24
Chemistry

Name of the
Candidate M.Anush
Register No

Center Code
 The Indian Public School – Coimbatore
AISSCE Practical Report
2023-2024

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Master M.Anush of GradeXII

has Satisfactorily completed the Chemistry project on

"EMF OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL"

under the guidance of Dr. M.Sasthaa Begum for AISSCE Practical

examination during the year 2023-2024.

DATE: TEACHER IN-CHARGE

Submitted for the Practical Examination held on at The Indian Public School,
Coimbatore.

INTERNAL EXTERNAL
EXAMINER PRINCIPAL EXAMINER
 INDEX

S.NO. Description Page

No.

1. Introduction 5-6
2. Types Of Electrochemical 7-8
Cells
3. Experimental Setup 9-
4. Salt Bridge and Its 10-
Function
5. Standard EMF of a 11-
Electrochemical cell
6. Some Important features Of 12-13
Electrochemical Cells
7. Experiment 14-16
8. Bibliography 17-
 INTRODUCTION
Electro Chemical Cell
Whenever a redox reaction is allowed to take
place directly in a single beaker, it is found
that the solution becomes hot. For example,
when a zinc is placed in a copper solution, the
solution is found to be warmer as the reaction
proceeds according to the equation.
Zn (s) + CuSO (aq) ZnSO (aq) + Cu(s)
Similar results are observed when a rod of
copper is placed in silver solution. The
reaction taking place as follows:
Cu(s) + 2 AgNO CuNO + 2Ag
Thus, we conclude that whenever a redox takes
place directly in a single beaker, chemical
energy in the form of heat is produced. By
suitable means it is possible to bring out the
redox reaction indirectly so as to convert the
chemical energy into the electrical energy.

Representation of an
Electrochemical Cell
An electrochemical cell is represented in a
manner as illustrated below.
Zn / Zn2+ || Cu2+ / Cu
i.e. by convention, the electrode on which
oxidation takes place is written on the left-
hand side and the other electrode on which
reduction takes place is written on the right-
hand side. The electrode of the left-hand side
is written by writing the symbol of the metal
first followed by the symbol of the ion with
its concentration in brackets. The electrode on
the right-hand side is written by first writing
the ion along with its concentration in
brackets followed by the symbol of the metal.
 TYPES OF ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELLS
Galvanic Cell
Galvanic Cell is named after Luigi Galvani an
Italian scientist. A galvanic cell is an
important electrochemical cell that forms the
base of many other electrochemical cells like
the Daniell cell. It constitutes of two
different metallic conductors called electrodes
immersed in their own ionic solutions. Each of
these arrangements is a half cell. Alone, a
half cell is not able to generate a potential
difference. But combined, they generate a
potential difference. A salt bridge is used to
combine the two cells chemically. It serves the
required number of electrons to the electron-
deficient half-cell and accepts electrons from
the electron-rich half-cell.

Daniell Cell
Daniell cell is an adaptation of the galvanic
cell. It is constituted of zinc and copper
electrodes immersed in zinc sulphate and copper
sulphate solutions respectively. Two half cells
are connected together using a salt bridge. The
zinc electrode as anode and copper act as
cathode.
The zinc metal is top in the electrochemical
series when comparing to the copper metal,
owing to the higher value of the oxidation
potential of the metal. Hence, zinc undergoes
oxidation, consequently, two electrons and a
zinc ion are generated. This electrode acquires
a negative potential due to the release of
electrons when comparing to the other
electrode. We call it an anode.
However, copper undergoes reduction, owing to
its higher reduction potential. The copper ion
in the solution of the copper half-cell accepts
two electrons from the electrode and becomes
copper metal and gets deposited in the
electrode. As this electrode uses up electrons,
we consider this electrode as a positive
electrode, and we call it cathode.
Anode reaction is represented as follows:
Zn(s) → Zn2+ (aq) + 2e–
The cathode reaction is represented as follows:
Cu2+ (aq) +2e– → Cu(s)
The combined cell reaction or overall cell
reaction is as follows:
Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq) → Zn2+ (aq) + Cu(s)
 EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
A zinc rod is placed in the zinc sulphate
solution taken in a beaker. A copper rod is
placed in the copper sulphate solution taken in
another beaker. The two rods are connected by a
wire and two solutions are connected by a salt
bridge
Salt Bridge and Its Function
A salt-bridge is a U-shaped tube containing
concentrated solution of an inert electrolyte
like KCl, KNO3, K2SO4 etc. An inert electrolyte
is one whose ions do not take part in the redox
reaction and also do not react with electrolyte
used. The function of the salt bridge is to
allow the movement of the ions from one
solution to the other without mixing of the two
solutions. Thus, whereas the electrons flow in
the outer circuit in the wire, the inner
circuit is completed by the flow of ions from
one solution to the other through the salt
bridge moreover, it helps to maintain the
electrical neutrality of the solution of the
two half cells.
Thus, the main functions of the salt bridge
are:
(i) To complete the electrical circuit by
allowing the ions to flow form one solution to
the other without mixing of the two solutions.
(ii) To maintain the electrical neutrality
of the solutions in the two half cells.
 Standard EMF of an
Electrochemical Cell
An electrochemical cell is based on reaction which
can be split into the two half reactions:
(i) Oxidation half reaction
(ii) Reduction half reaction
Standard EMF of the cell:
Where, Ecell= Electrode Potential of the cell
Ecathode = Electrode Potential of the reduction half
reaction
Eanode = Electrode Potential of the oxidation half
reaction
According to Nernst Equation, the relation between
concentration of electrode and the standard electrode
potential can be given as:

Where,
E = Electrode Potential at non-standard conditions
E˚ = Electrode Potential at standard conditions
n = Number of electrons transferred in the equation
[M] = concentration of the metal
[M¬n+] = concentration of metal ion

Some Important Features:-

Above cell may be summed up as follows:-
i) The electrode at which oxidation takes
place is called the anode. The electrode at
which the reduction takes place is called the
cathode.
ii) Since electrons are produced at the zinc
electrodes, this electrode is rich in
electrons, which pushes the electrons into the
external circuit and hence it is designated as
the negative pole. The other electrode, i.e.,
the copper electrode is in the need of
electrons for the reduction of Cu2+ ions into
the Cu, i.e., this electrode is deficient in
electrons and pulls the electrons from the
external circuit, therefore it acts as the
positive pole.
iii) The electrons flow from the negative
pole to the positive pole in the external
circuit. However, conventionally, this current
is set to flow in the opposite direction.
iv) The oxidation of Zn into ions produces
excess of Zn2+ ions in the left beaker. This
creates an unbalanced positive charge in the
solution. To maintain electrical neutrality of
the solution in the two beakers, the cations
and anions move through the salt bridge.
v) As copper from copper sulphate solution is
deposited on the copper electrode and sulphate
ions migrate to the other side, the
concentration of the copper sulphate solution
decreases. As the cell operates consequently,
the current falls.
vi) Evidently, the weight of the copper rod
will increase while that of zinc rod will
decrease as the cell works.
 Experiment
Objective: - To study electrochemical
principles on any electrochemical cell.

Requirements: -

Procedure: -
● Take two clean beakers.
● In one beaker take 1 M copper sulphate
solution and in the other take 1 M zinc
sulphate solution.
● Take a copper strip and clean it using a
sand paper.
 ● Dip the copper strip into the beaker
containing the 1 M copper sulphate
solution.
● Similarly, take a zinc strip and clean it
using a sand paper.
● Then dip it into the beaker containing 1 M
zinc sulphate solution.
● Take a salt bridge and connect the two
solutions using the salt bridge.
● Take a voltmeter and connect the copper
strip to the positive terminal and the zinc
strip to the negative terminal using
connecting wires.
● Note the position of the pointer in the
voltmeter and record the reading.
● Repeat the experiment by taking different
concentrations of zinc sulphate and copper
sulphate solutions.

Observations: -
Concentration of Concentration of EMF of the
ZnSO4 solution (M) CuSO4 solution (M) Cell (V)

1 M 1 M

1 M 0.5 M

1 M 0.025 M

1 M 0.0125 M

0.5 M 1 M

0.025 M 1 M

0.0125 M 1 M
Conclusion: -
EMF of the cell increases with decrease in
concentration of the electrolyte around the
anode and increase in concentration of the
electrolyte around cathode.

Precautions: -
● The concentration of copper sulphate and
zinc sulphate should neither be too low nor
too high.
● Clean the zinc strip and copper strip with
sand paper before use.
● Connect the copper strip to the positive
terminal and the zinc strip to the negative
terminal of the voltmeter.
● The two half cells should be connected
using a salt bridge.
● Note the reading only when the pointer
becomes stable.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Chemistry Part-I, Textbook
for class XII
2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D
aniell_cell