CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

ACTIVITY 2. GALVANIC CELL

A. INSTRUCTIONS. You are tasked to study and understand and apply the principles of
galvanic cells particularly cell notation, half and overall reactions, and Cell potentials.

B. Read any material you can access that is about the electrochemistry particularly the
galvanic cell. You may also use the previous notes given to you in our lecture class.

C. Try to save title, author, date of publication, the URL, and the date you accessed the
internet source you will be using and place them at the reference section of your final
report that will be required later.

D. PROCEDURE.

PART 1

1. Consider 5 galvanic cell set-up in the laboratory that resemble like the figure below.

Figure 1. Galvanic cell set-up.

 2. Consider the table below that contains data obtained from the five galvanic cells.

Table 1. Data for the five galvanic cell set-up

Setup Electrode 1 Solution 1 Electrode Solution Salt Voltmeter
No. (1M) 2 2(1M) bridge reading, V
1 Pt(s) in H2(gas) HCl(aq) Cu(s) CuSO4 KNO3 __________
2 Pb(s) Pb(NO3)2(aq) Fe(s) FeSO4 KCl __________
3 Cu(s) CuSO4(aq) Mg(s) MgSO4(aq) Na2SO4 __________
4 Al(s) Al2(SO4)3(aq) _________ _________ KCl 1.26 V
5 Cd(s) Cd(OH)2(aq) _________ _________ KCl 1.3 V

3. Since all the five cells are galvanic, complete table 1 byfinding the unknown data
(yellow highlight). Use the standard reduction table that was provided to you or you
may use a more complete list found in this link:
https://www.av8n.com/physics/redpot.htm
*Use the Keefe values in case more than one E0red are available.

4. Write also the cell notation for each galvanic cell in the table.
PART 2

1. You are given by your instructor two cell notations of electrolytic cells.
i. CELL A Cd (s) | Cd2+ (aq, 0.15 M) || Ag+ (aq, 0.20 M) | Ag (s)
ii. CELL B Ba (s) | Ba2+ (aq, 1 M) || Li+ (aq, 1 M) | Li (s)

Your tasks are: (Write them as your observations in the final report.)
a) Determine the half reactions and Overall reactions.
b) Compute the cell potential
c) Determine if the cell configuration is spontaneous or not
d) Draw a diagram of the electrochemical cells AND use the figure below;
just edit the underlined portions:

Name of cell A: Cd/Ag cell volts

electrode

Name of electrode Name of electrode

Name of salt bridge

Name of ion Name of ion

Oxidation cell Reduction cell

Flow of electrons: towards

Right?/towards Left?
 Final REPORT
ACTIVITY NO. 2
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
ENGG 0201

NAME

COURSE -YR

TITLE OF
ACTIVITY

THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND

(search the net

for theory and
put them in this
section) –
delete this
instruction in
the final
writeup

OBJECTIVE(S) 1.

(what you were 2.

required to
3.
do?)

MATERIALS/ 1.
TOOLS
2.

3.

PROCEDURE 1.

2.

3.
DATA PART 1

(fill-in the Table 1.Data on the five given galvanic cells

tables and the
Set Electrode Solution1 Electrode Solution 2 Salt Volt
cell diagrams)
up 1 (1 M) 2 (1 M) bridge meter V
No.
Pt(s) in
1 H2(gas) HCl(aq) Cu(s) CuSO4(aq) KNO3
2 Pb(s) Pb(NO3)2(aq) Fe(s) FeSO4(aq) KCl
3 Cu(s) CuSO4(aq) Mg(s) MgSO4(aq) Na2SO4
4 Al(s) Al2(SO4)3(aq) KCl 1.26 V

5 Cd(s) Cd(OH)2(aq) KCl 1.3 V

Table 2. Cell notation of each galvanic cell in table 1.

Set up Cell notation

1
2
3
4
5
PART 2

Table 2. Data on CELL A

Half-Reactions

Anode

Cathode

Overall
Reaction

Cell Potential

Spontaneous?

Name of cell: Ex. Cu/Zn cell _____volts

electrode

Name of electrode Name of electrode

Name of salt bridge

Name of Name of
Cathode/ ion ion Cathode/
Anode Anode
Oxidation Reduction
cell cell

Flow of electrons: Right/Left

Figure 1. Cell A Diagram

 Table 3. Data on CELL B

Half-Reactions

Anode

Cathode

Overall
Reaction

Cell Potential

Spontaneous?

Name of cell: Ex. Cu/Zn cell _____volts

electrode

Name of electrode Name of electrode

Name of salt bridge

Name of Name of
Cathode/ ion ion Cathode/
Anode Anode
Oxidation Reduction
cell cell

Flow of electrons: Right/Left

Figure 2. Cell B Diagram

ANALYSIS 1. In which cell are the electrons produced?

2. Explain why a galvanic cell can produce energy (electrical energy).
(Try to answer 3. Explain why galvanic cells do not have equal cell potentials.
the given 4. Discuss what role does REDOX play in the production of energy for galvanic cells.
questions as 5. What does spontaneous and non-spontaneous mean for an electrochemical cell?
guide for 6. What is the role of the salt bridge?
analysis)

CONCLUSION Therefore, I conclude that:

(answers the Objective 1:

objective when
achieved)
Objective 2:

Objective 3:

REFERENCES Example:
Duterte, R.R. (2019). Galvanic Cells. Introduction to Chemistry 3dr ed. Prentice Hall.
Retrieved on November 07, 2020 from https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/54004