Experiment

ElEctrochEmical cElls and cEll PotEntials

Electrochemical Cells and Cell Potentials

Peter Jeschofnig, Ph.D. Version 42-0153-00-01

Lab

rePort

assistant

This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report
Assistant is simply a summary of the experiments questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables
that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students writing of lab
reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor.

Questions

Part

A. What half-reactions (one a reduction, the other an oxidation) can be written for this redox
reaction?

B. How many electrons are being transferred from Zn (s) to Cu2+?

C. Which is the reducing agent and which is the oxidizing agent in this reaction?

D. Why does the Cu (s) produced in the redox reaction look very different from the copper metal
piece?

Questions Part ii
A. Switch the multimeter on and touch the red probe (positive terminal) to the piece of copper
metal and the black probe (negative terminal) to the piece of zinc metal. Read and record the
voltage. Dont forget the sign! (Refers to Procedures Part II Step 7)

B. Reverse the probes. Record what happens to the sign and switch the meter off. (Refers to
Procedures Part II Step 8)

C. Write the half-reaction occurring at the anode, Zn (s). (Refers to Procedures Part II Step 9)

D. Write the half-reaction occurring at the cathode, Cu (s). (Refers to Procedures Part II Step 10)

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Experiment

ElEctrochEmical cElls and cEll PotEntials

E. Calculate Eoox, the standard oxidation potential. (Refers to Procedures Part II Step 10)

F. Calculate the equilibrium constant for the spontaneous redox reaction. (Refers to Procedures
Part II Step 11)

Questions Part iii

A. Which is the strongest oxidizing agent in the table?

B. Which is the strongest reducing agent in the table?

C. If you wanted to design a battery from relatively common materials that produced a voltage
of about 1 V which cell reaction would you choose?

D. Why were the measurements on Mg (s) and Al (s) so difficult?

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Experiment

ElEctrochEmical cElls and cEll PotEntials

observations Part iii

Refers to Procedures Part III Step 9

Data Table 1: Data Measurements

Cu red

Pb red

Sn red

Zn red

Al red

Cu black
Pb black
Sn black
Zn black
Al black
Mg black
* Pb results are most unreliable

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Mg red