H.W.

– 5 answer
Voltaic Cells

1- Which of the following must be true of a salt bridge?

a. Ions can move through the salt bridge.

b. The salt bridge must prevent the flow of charged particles.

c. The solutions joined by the salt bridge can mix freely.

d. The tube of the salt bridge must remain open.

(A salt bridge is a pathway constructed to allow the passage of ions from one side
to another)
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2. In any electrochemical cell, the cathode is the ________.

a. positive electrode

b. negative electrode

c. electrode at which some species gains electrons

d. electrode at which some species loses electrons

The cathode is the electrode that acts as the reducing site during a redox reaction.
At this electrode, some species will always gain electrons.

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3. In a voltaic cell, the salt bridge __________.

a. is not necessary for the cell to work

b. acts as a mechanism to allow mechanical mixing of the solutions

c. allows charge balance to be maintained in the cell

d. drives electrons from one half-cell to another

The salt bridge keeps the current flowing by allowing the charge balance to be
maintained in the cell.

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4. A cell is constructed by immersing a strip of lead in a 1.0M Pb(NO3)2

solution and a strip of silver in a 1.0M AgNO3 solution. The circuit is completed
by a wire and a salt bridge. As the cell operates, the strip of silver gains mass
(only silver), the strip of lead loses mass, and the concentration of lead ions
increases in the solution around the lead strip. Which of the following
represents the reaction that occurs at the cathode in this cell?

a. Pb2+ + 2e- → Pb

b. Pb → Pb2+ + 2e-
c. Ag+ + e- → Ag

d. Ag → Ag+ + e-
Because silver gains mass, reduction must be taking place at this electrode. The
reaction at the cathode is the reduction of Ag+ to Ag.

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5. Using a table of standard reduction potentials, which of the following is

the strongest oxidizing agent?

a. Al3+

b. Al

c. F2

d. F-
The strongest oxidizing agent is the species that is most likely to be reduced. On the
standard reduction potential table, this is the one with the most positive value. In this case,
the strongest oxidizing agent is fluorine (F 2).

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6. Which of the following is the weakest reducing agent?

a. Al3+

b. Al

c. F2

d. F-
The weakest reducing agent is the species that is most difficult to oxidize. This is
the opposite of the strongest oxidizing agent. Because fluorine is the strongest
oxidizing agent and is easiest to reduce, the reduced form will be the hardest to
oxidize. Fluoride (F-) is the weakest reducing agent.

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7. A voltaic cell consists of a standard hydrogen electrode connected by a
salt bridge and a wire to an electrode consisting of a strip of Cd metal dipping
into a 1M solution of Cd(NO3)2. When the cell produces a current, the electrons
flow through the wire from the _________ electrode to the ________ electrode.
In this cell, the _______ electrode acts as the cathode.

a. Cd, H2, Cd

b. H2, Cd, Cd

c. H2, Cd, H2

d. Cd, H2, H2

The current flows from the anode, the cadmium electrode, to the cathode, the
hydrogen electrode.

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8. Under standard conditions, what is the standard cell potential for the
cell? Cd|Cu2+ || Cu2+|Cu ?

a. + 0.74 V

b. - 0.74 V

c. + 0.06 V

d. - 0.06 V

The cathode is copper ion reducing to copper metal. The anion is cadmium metal
oxidizing to cadmium ion. The cell potential is 0.34 V - (-0.40 V) = +0.74 V

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9. Under standard conditions, which of the following is the net reaction that
occurs in the cell? Cd|Cd2+ || Cu2+|Cu

a. Cu + Cd2+ → Cd + Cu2+

b. Cu + Cd → Cu2+ + Cd2+

c. Cu2+ + Cd2+ → Cu + Cd

d. Cu2+ + Cd → Cu + Cd2+

The cathode is Cu2+ → Cu. The anode is Cd2+ → Cd. By subtracting the anode from the
cathode, you get Cu2+ + Cd → Cu + Cd2+.

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10. What is the numerical value for the standard cell potential for the
following reaction? 2Cr3+(aq) + 3Cu(s) → 2Cr(s) + 3Cu2+(aq)

a. -1.08 V

b. -0.40 V

c. 0.40 V

d. 1.08 V

The species that is reduced is Cr3+ + 3e- → Cr. The species that is oxidized is Cu → Cu2+ + 2e-.
The reduced species is the cathode, and the oxidized species is the anode. Subtract the
anode from the cathode and you get -0.74 - (0.34) = -1.08

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11. How many moles of electrons have been transferred between the species
in the following reaction? 2Cr3+(aq) + 3Cu(s) → 2Cr(s) + 3Cu2+(aq)

a. 2

b. 3

c. 4

d. 6
Cr3+ gains three electrons to make Cr. Cu2+ gains two electrons to make Cu. There are two
Cr3+and three Cu2+ in the reaction. This makes 3 ´ 2 and 2 ´ 3 electrons lost and gained in
the reaction.

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12. A voltaic cell in which the reaction involves the combustion of one
reactant with oxygen to produce electric energy is a(n) _____________.

a. primary battery

b. secondary battery

c. fuel cell

d. electrolytic cell

Voltaic cells that rely on combustion to produce electric energy are known as fuel
cells.

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