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ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY – 110

Lecture # 01

Electrochemistry, Redox Reactions, Galvanic

Cell and Standard Cell Notation

TEXT BOOK-1 Chapter: 20

Section : 20.1
Page No : 919 - 924

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 Learning Objectives

After this lecture students will be able to:

Define electrochemistry

Explain redox reactions

Explain the construction of a Galvanic cell

Explain the concept of standard cell notation

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Electrochemistry

 The study of electrochemical changes is

called electrochemistry

Definition:
 “Electrochemistry is the study of conversion of
electrical energy into chemical energy, and the
conversion of chemical energy into electrical
energy, and the transport of electrical energy
through matter”
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Redox Reactions
 Definition:

 Those reactions in which oxidation and

reduction takes place simultaneously is called
redox reaction.
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Redox Reactions
 It is the combination of two words
 Redox = Reduction (Red) + Oxidation (Ox)

 Oxidation is loss of electrons (Oil)

 Reduction is gain of electrons (Rig)
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Redox Reactions Cont’d....

Oxidation Reduction
Loss of electron Gain of electron

Gain of Oxygen Loss of Oxygen

Loss of Hydrogen Gain of Hydrogen

Increase in Oxidation Decrease in Oxidation State

State
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Redox Reactions Cont’d....
 Spontaneous redox reactions are used to
produce electrical energy.
 Oxidation (electron loss) and reduction (electron
gain) are takes place at different physical locations
(Conversion of Chemical energy into electrical
energy).

 In non-spontaneous redox reactions electrical

energy is used to produce chemical energy.
(Reverse reaction)
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Redox Reactions Cont’d....
 Electrolysis (Electro + lysis)
 Electrolysis is a method of driving chemical
reactions by passing an electric current
through an electrolyte.
 Definition:
 Electrolysis is the process by which ionic
substances are decomposed (broken down)
into simpler substances when an electric
current is passed through them.
(Electrochemical change)
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Redox Reactions Cont’d....
 Electrochemical changes find applications in
formation of many important industrial products
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Galvanic Cell

 The apparatus that produces electricity from a

spontaneous redox reaction by forcing
electron transfer to take place through a wire
is called galvanic cell / Voltaic cell
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Construction of a Galvanic Cell

 Luigi Galvani (1737-1798)

Italian anatomist

 Alessandro Volta (1745-1827)

Italian scientist
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Construction of a Galvanic Cell Cont’d….

 A galvanic cell is an electrochemical cell

which converts chemical potential energy
to electrical potential energy through a
spontaneous chemical reaction.
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Construction of a Galvanic Cell Cont’d….

 In a galvanic cell there are two half-cells.

 Each half-cell contains an electrode in an
electrolyte.

 Silver electrode is dipped into AgNO3 soln.

(Reduction half reaction)
 Cu electrode is dipped into Cu(NO3)2 soln.
(Oxidation half reaction)
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Construction of a Galvanic Cell Cont’d….

 Salt bridge

 A salt bridge is a connection containing a

weak electrolyte between the oxidation and
reduction half-cells in a galvanic cell
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Construction of a Galvanic Cell Cont’d….

 In Silver half cell following reaction occurs

 In Copper half cell the half reaction is

 Electrons left at anode (Cu electrode)

travel to cathode (Ag electrode) where
they are picked up by Ag+ ions
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Cell Reactions

 The cell reaction is the net overall reaction

in the galvanic cell, that is
 Reduction half reaction + Oxidation half
reaction
 Before combining half cell reactions, we
first balance them (both in terms of mass
and charge) separately
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Cell Reactions Cont’d….
 We can get cell reaction as following
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Standard Cell Notation
 Cell notation is a short-hand way of describing
galvanic cell, for example Copper-Silver cell
can be represented as follows

 Anode half cell is always on left while cathode

half cell is always on right
 Cu is anode here
 Ag is cathode here
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Standard Cell Notation Cont’d….
 Sometimes anode / cathode can be inert
metal like Pt (if redox involves dissolved
species)
 For example

 Zn is anode here
 Pt electrode will be required as cathode
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Standard Cell Notation Cont’d….
 The cell notation for this galvanic cell is

 Here we have separated the formulas for two

iron ions by a comma
 In this cell, the reduction of Fe+3 to Fe+2 takes
place at the surface of inert Pt electrode
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Example
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Example Cont’d….
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Recapitulation

 Electrochemistry

 Redox Reactions

 Construction of a Galvanic Cell

 Standard Cell Notation

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Practice Exercise

Q.Draw a diagram of a galvanic cell called

Daniel cell. Determine anode and cathode in

the given cell. Write cell notation for the Daniel

cell.
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