Tutorial - Electrochemistry

1. a) The following reaction occurs spontaneously in a voltaic cell:

4H+ (aq) + MnO2 (s) + Fe(s) → Fe2+ (aq) + Mn2+ (aq) + 2H2O (aq)

i) Write the half-reaction that occurs at the cathode and anode.

ii) Explain how a salt bridge containing KNO3 works in the voltaic cell.

b) Determine the time taken (in hours) to produce 85.0 g of metallic chromium by the
electrolytic reduction of Cr3+ with a current of 2.50A.

c) The following cell reaction has standard reduction potential of 2.48 V.

NiO2(s) + 4H+(aq) + 2Ag(s) → Ni2+(aq) + 2H2O(l) + 2Ag+(aq)

d) Calculate the cell potential, E cell at pH 3.56 when the concentration of Ni 2+ and
Ag+ are each 0.025 M.
(JUN 2016)

2. a) Define redox reaction.

b) Explain the product that will be produced at the anode and cathode in electrolysis
of aqueous solution of potassium nitrate (KNO3) using platinum electrodes.

c) Balance the following redox reaction equations by the ion-electron method in

acidic solution.
CN- + MnO4- → CNO- + MnO2

d) Given the following concentration cell:

Mg(s) / Mg2+ (0.24M) // Mg2+ (0.53M) / Mg(s)
i) Write half cell reaction at the anode and cathode of the concentration cell.
ii) Calculate the cell potential, Ecell of the concentration cell.

e) Determine the equilibrium constant for the following reaction at 25 oC.

Mg(s) + Zn2+(aq) ↔ Mg2+(aq) + Zn(s)

(DEC 2016)

3. a) Differentiate between voltaic cell and electrolytic cell.

b) A voltaic cell is constructed from two half-cells. The first contains a Cd(s)
electrode immersed in 1M Cd2+ (aq) solution. The other contains an Rh(s)
electrode in 1M Rh3+(aq) solution. The overall standard cell potential is +1.20V,
and as the cell operates under standard condition, the concentration of the Rh 3+
(aq) solution decreases and the mass of the Rh electrode increases.

i) Identify the anode and cathode for this voltaic cell.

ii) Write the half-reaction equation that occurs at the anode and the cathode.
iii) Calculate the standard reduction potential for the Rh3+/Rh half-reaction.
iv) Determine the value of standard Gibbs free energy change (∆G o) for the
cell reaction.
 c) Consider the following Zn-H+ cell reaction:

Zn(s) → Zn2+(aq) + 2e
2H+(aq) + 2e → H2 (g)

i) Calculate the standard cell potential (Eo) for the Zn-H+ cell.
ii) Find the concentration of H+ if the cell potential of Zn-H + cell is 0.45V at
25oC when [Zn2+] = 1M and PH2 = 1 atm. Suggest its pH value.
iii) Determine the equilibrium constant for the Zn-H+ cell at 25oC.

(JUL 2017)

4. a) Consider a voltaic cell that consists of one half-cell with Zn electrode immersed in
Zn(NO3)2 solution, another half-cell with Cu electrode immersed in Cu(NO 3)2 solution,
and a KNO3 salt bridge. Note that as the cell operates under standard condition, the
concentration of the Zn2+(aq) solution increases and the concentration of the Cu 2+(aq)
solution decreases.

i) Name the oxidizing agent and reducing agent for this voltaic cell.
ii) Write the overall cell notation for the cell reaction.
iii) Comment on the spontaneity of the Zn-Cu voltaic cell by showing the
value of standard Gibbs free energy change (∆Go).

b) A concentration cell is a type of voltaic cell. Assume the following concentration

cell operated at 298K.

Cu2+ (aq, 1.0M) → Cu2+ (aq, 0.1M)

i) Define concentration cell.

ii) Illustrate the schematic diagram for this concentration cell.
iii) Calculate its cell potential using Nernst equation.

c) Determine how much time (in second) is needed to plate 10.2 g of Ag using a
10.5 Ampere power source.

(JAN 2018)

5. A standard half-cell consists of an inert Pt electrode in contact with a solution

containing MnO4-(aq), H+(aq) and Mn2+(aq) ions is connected to a standard Zn 2+/Zn
half cell.
a) Calculate the standard potential of the cell at 25oC.
b) Write a balanced equation for the overall reaction and write its cell notation.
c) The same cell consisting of [H+] = 0.010M, [MnO4-] = 0.12 M, [Mn2+] = 0.001 M
and [Zn2+] = 0.015 M. Calculate the cell potential.
d) Identify the anode and cathode.
e) Sketch the electrochemical cell diagram.
(JUN 2018)

6. a) The following reaction occurs spontaneously in a galvanic cell:

4H+ (aq) + MnO2 (s) + Fe(s) → Fe2+ (aq) + Mn2+ (aq) + 2H2O (aq)

Explain briefly how the electrons flow in the redox reaction.

 b) Determine the current that will produce 25.3 g of Fe in 4 hours by reduction of
Fe2+(aq) in an aqueous solution.

c) Differentiate between galvanic and electrolytic cells.

d) Draw and label clearly a nickel concentration cell which consists of 0.01M and
4x10-4 M of NiSO4 electrolytes.

(DEC 2018)

7. a) When chlorine gas is bubbled through a sodium bromide solution, a spontaneous

redox reaction occurs as follows:

Cl2(g) + 2Br-(g) → 2Cl-(aq) + Br2(l)

For this galvanic cell:

i) Write an equation for the reactions occurring at the anode and cathode.
ii) Give the cell notation.
iii) Calculate the standard electrode potential of the cell.

b) Differentiate the products obtained at the anode and cathode during electrolysis
of molten and aqueous sodium chloride.

c) Consider the following galvanic cell:

Pb(s) + 2H+(g) → Pb2+(aq) + H2(g)

Determine the concentration of Pb2+ ions when chloride ions are added to the
Pb/Pb2+ half-cell. The potential measured is +0.210V. Given [H+] = 1.0M and
PH2=1.0atm.

f) Briefly explain how the concentration of product and reactant could affect the
value of cell potential.

(JUN 2019)

8. a) A galvanic cell consists of a zinc electrode immersed in 1 M Zn(NO3)2 and a

platinum electrode immersed in an unknown concentration of H+ ion (X M). The

voltage of the cell is 0.473 V at 298K with the following cell notation:

Zn(s) / Zn2+ (aq, 1M) // H+ (aq, XM) / H2 (g, 1 atm) / Pt (s)

i) Write the overall equation for the reaction taking place in the galvanic cell.
ii) Calculate the reaction quotient, Q.
iii) Calculate the unknown concentration [X] for H+ ion.

b) The electrolysis of copper (II) sulphate solution is performed using graphite

electrodes.
i) State the observations at the anode and cathode.
ii) Write the half equations at the anode and cathode.
iii) Explain the selection of ions to be discharged at each electrode.
(DEC 2019)