ANALYSIS OF

ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELLS

CHEMISTRY
PROJECT
 INDEX
Acknowledgement

Certificate

Introduction to Electrochemical Cells

Types of Electrochemical Cells

Components of an Electrochemical Cell

Measurement of cell potential

Experiment to measure Potential Difference

of an Electrochemical Cell

Application of Electrochemical Cell

Conclusion

Bibliography
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I WOuLD LIKE TO THANK MY CHEMISTRY TEACHER FOR
PROvIDING ME WITH THE NECESSARY GuIDANCE AND
SuPPORT THROuGHOuT THIS PROJECT. THEIR KNOWLEDGE,
EXPERTISE, AND DEDICATION HAvE bEEN INvALuAbLE IN
HELPING ME TO uNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS AND
PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY AND TO DEvELOP MY SKILLS IN
CONDuCTING EXPERIMENTS.
I WOuLD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF OF THE CHEMISTRY
LAbORATORY FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN PROvIDING ME WITH
THE NECESSARY EquIPMENT AND MATERIALS FOR MY
EXPERIMENTS. WE APPRECIATE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO
HELP ME WITH ANY TECHNICAL ISSuES AND THEIR
DEDICATION TO ENSuRING THAT I HAD A SAFE AND
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THIS PROJECT WOuLD NOT HAvE bEEN POSSIbLE WITHOuT
THE SuPPORT AND CONTRIbuTIONS OF ALL THE INDIvIDuALS
MENTIONED AbOvE, AND I AM TRuLY GRATEFuL FOR THEIR
HELP AND SuPPORT.

THANK YOu!

INTRODuCTION TO
ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELLS
An electrochemical cell is a device that generates electrical energy
through a chemical reaction. It consists of two electrodes, an
electrolyte, and a separator. The electrodes are typically made of
metals or other conductive materials, and they are placed in the
electrolyte, which is a solution that can conduct electricity. The
separator is a barrier between the two electrodes that prevents them
from touching each other. This has been shown below
Electrochemical cells are classified into two main types: Galvanic
(Voltaic) cells and Electrolytic cells. Both types are shown below

1. Galvanic Cells: also known as voltaic cells, produce electrical

energy through a spontaneous chemical reaction. They use the
energy released by the reaction to generate an electrical current
that flows from the anode (the electrode where oxidation
occurs) to the cathode (the electrode where reduction occurs).
The most common example of a galvanic cell is a battery, which
is used to power a wide range of devices. This is shown below
 2. Electrolytic cells, on the other hand, use an external source of
electrical energy to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction.
They are used to carry out a wide range of chemical processes,
such as electroplating, electrolysis, and electrorefining. In an
electrolytic cell, the anode is the electrode where oxidation
occurs, and the cathode is the electrode where reduction
occurs. Electroplating has been shown below

Electrochemical cells are important in many fields, including chemistry, physics,

and engineering. They are used in a wide range of applications, such as
batteries, fuel cells, corrosion protection, and chemical synthesis. Understanding
the principles of electrochemical cells is essential for developing new
technologies that rely on electrical energy. In the next topic, we will be learning
about both the type of cells in detail
 TYPES OF
ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELLS
In the previous topic, we got a brief overview of the two types of
Electrochemical cells, now we’ll understand both of them in detail.

GALVANIC CELL
A galvanic cell is an electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy
into electrical energy. It consists of two electrodes, an anode (negative
electrode) and a cathode (positive electrode), which are immersed in
an electrolyte solution. The electrodes are made of different metals or
metal ions and are connected by a wire or another electrical
conductor. The electrolyte solution contains ions that can be reduced
at the cathode and oxidized at the anode.
When the electrodes are connected by a wire, electrons flow from the
anode to the cathode through the wire, while the ions flow from the
anode to the cathode through the electrolyte solution. At the anode,
the metal atoms lose electrons and become metal ions, which go into
solution. This process is called oxidation. At the cathode, the metal
ions gain electrons and become metal atoms or metal ions with a
lower oxidation state. This process is called reduction. The flow of
electrons through the wire generates an electrical current that can be
measured with a voltmeter. The voltage generated by the galvanic cell
depends on the nature of the metals or metal ions used as electrodes
and the concentration of the electrolyte solution.
  Galvanic cells are widely used in batteries to power electronic
devices. For example, a common type of battery is the alkaline
battery, which uses zinc as the anode and manganese dioxide as
the cathode, and an alkaline electrolyte solution. As the battery
discharges, the zinc electrode is oxidized and the manganese
dioxide electrode is reduced, generating a flow of electrons that
can be used to power a device.

Examples of some Alkaline Batteries

ELECTROLYTIC CELL
 An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that uses electrical
energy to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction. In
contrast to galvanic cells, which convert chemical energy into
electrical energy, electrolytic cells use electrical energy to cause
a chemical change to occur. An electrolytic cell consists of two
electrodes, an anode and a cathode, that are immersed in an
electrolyte solution. The electrodes are connected to a power
source, such as a battery or a generator, that supplies the
electrical energy needed to drive the reaction. The anode is
typically the positive electrode, and the cathode is the negative
electrode.
➔ When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, the anode becomes
positively charged and the cathode becomes negatively charged. The
electrolyte solution contains ions that are attracted to the oppositely
charged electrodes. Positive ions are attracted to the cathode, while
negative ions are attracted to the anode. At the cathode, the positive
ions gain electrons and are reduced, while at the anode, the negative
ions lose electrons and are oxidized. The reduction and oxidation
reactions are non-spontaneous and require the input of electrical
energy to occur. The products of the electrolysis reaction depend on
the nature of the electrolyte solution and the electrodes used. For
example, if the electrolyte solution is a saltwater solution and the
electrodes are made of copper, the electrolysis reaction may produce
copper ions at the anode and hydrogen gas at the cathode.
Electrolytic cells have a wide range of applications, such as in the
production of metals, the purification of metals, and the production of
chemicals. They are also used in electroplating, which is the process of
depositing a thin layer of metal on a surface to improve its properties
or appearance
DIFFERENCES BETTWEEN ELECTROLYTIC
CELL AND GALVANIC CELL SUMMARISED
Property Galvanic Electrolytic
Chemical Reaction Spontaneous Non-Spontaneous
Energy Change Chemical Energy- Electrical Energy to
Electrical Energy Chemical Energy
Voltage Positive Voltage is Negative Voltage is
generated generated

Electrode Polarity Anode is negative Anode is positive

and Cathode is and Cathode is
positive negative
Electron Flow Anode to Cathode Cathode to Anode
through an external through external
circuit circuit

Reaction products Produces electricity Produces chemical

and chemical products and
products electricity
Applications Batteries, Fuel Cells Electroplating,
etc. Metal refining etc.
 COMPONENTS OF AN
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL
Now we will see the main components of an Electrochemical Cell and
see their function in detail :-

Electrodes: Electrodes are the conductive materials that allow

electrons to flow in and out of the electrochemical cell. They are
typically made of metal or metal oxide and can be either the anode or
cathode of the cell. The anode is where oxidation occurs, while the
cathode is where reduction occurs. The electrodes are placed in
contact with the electrolyte solution and are often coated with a
catalyst to speed up the reaction.
Electrolyte: The electrolyte is a solution or a liquid medium that allows
ions to move between the electrodes. It contains ions that are either
positively or negatively charged and can participate in the
electrochemical reaction. The electrolyte solution may be an acid or a
base, a salt solution, or a molten salt.

Separator: The separator is a porous material that is placed between

the anode and cathode to prevent them from coming into contact and
short-circuiting the cell. It allows the electrolyte to flow between the
electrodes, but it prevents the electrodes from physically touching
each other.
 Terminal: The terminal is the point where the electrical circuit is
completed and the flow of electrons between the anode and cathode
generates an electrical current. The terminal is usually made of metal
and is connected to the electrodes via a wire or other conductor.

Catalyst: The catalyst is a substance that speeds up the reaction

between the electrolyte and the electrodes. It is often used to
increase the efficiency of the electrochemical cell and can be either a
metal or a non-metal.

Salt bridge: The salt bridge is a tube or a piece of porous material that
connects the two half-cells of an electrochemical cell. It contains a salt
solution that allows the flow of ions between the two half-cells and
helps to maintain the electrical neutrality of the solution.

 When all of these components are assembled into an

electrochemical cell, they work together to facilitate the
electrochemical reaction that generates an electrical potential.
By carefully selecting the materials for the electrodes,
electrolyte, and catalyst, it is possible to create electrochemical
cells that can generate a wide range of electrical potentials and
carry out a variety of chemical reactions.
MEASuREMENT OF CELL
POTENTIAL
 The cell potential in an electrochemical cell can be measured
using a voltmeter. The voltmeter is connected to the two
electrodes in the cell, and the potential difference between the
two electrodes is measured.

 The cell potential, also known as the electromotive force (EMF),

is a measure of the tendency of the cell to undergo a
spontaneous chemical reaction. It is related to the free energy
change of the reaction, and is calculated using the Nernst
equation:
In the above equation ^
➔Ecell is the cell potential

➔E°cell is the standard cell potential

➔R is the gas constant (8.314 J/mol*K)

➔T is the temperature (in Kelvin)

➔n is the number of moles of electrons transferred in the reaction

➔F is Faraday's constant (96,485 C/mol)

➔Q is the reaction quotient, which is the ratio of the concentrations

of the products to the concentrations of the reactants.

 To measure the cell potential experimentally, the cell is first set

up with the two electrodes and the electrolyte solution. The
voltmeter is connected to the two electrodes, and the potential
difference is measured. The measured potential is the difference
in electric potential energy between the two electrodes, and can
be used to calculate the cell potential using the Nernst equation.
EXPERIMENT TO MEASuRE
POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE OF
AN ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELL
Now we will perform a simple experiment to
measure potential difference

Materials:
 Voltmeter

 2 Clean beakers

 0.5 M copper sulphate solution

 0.5 M zinc sulphate solution

 Copper Strip

 Salt Bridge

Procedure:-
 Take two clean beakers

 In one beaker take 0.5 M copper sulphate solution and in the

other take 0.5M zinc sulphate solution
  Take a copper strip and clean it using a sandpaper

 Dip the copper strip into the beaker containing the 0.5M copper
sulphate solution

 Similarly, take a zinc strip and clean it using a sandpaper

 Then dip into the beaker containing 0.5M sulphate solution

 Take a salt bridge and connect the two solutions using the salt
bridge

 Take a voltmeter and connect the copper strip to the positive

terminal and the zinc strip to the negative terminal using
connecting wires.

 Note the positive of the pointer in the voltmeter and record the
reading

 Repeat the experiment by taking different concentration of zinc

sulphate and the copper sulphate solutions

Observations:-
Serial No. M(CUSO4) M(ZnSO4) EMF
1 0.5 0.5 0.99V
2 0.5 0.25 0.80V
3 0.25 0.25 0.92V

Precautions :-
 It is important to ensure that the electrodes are not touching
each other, as this will short-circuit the cell and prevent any
potential difference from being measured.
 It is important to use appropriate safety measures when working
with electrolyte solutions, as they may be corrosive or harmful.

 Repeat the experiment two or three times to ensure the

accuracy of the results.
 APPLICATIONS OF
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
Electrochemical cells have a wide range of applications in various
fields, including:

Batteries: Electrochemical cells are used in batteries to store and

release electrical energy. Common examples of batteries include
alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries, and lithium-ion batteries.

Fuel cells: Fuel cells are electrochemical cells that convert chemical
energy directly into electrical energy. They are used in applications
such as electric vehicles, backup power systems, and portable
electronic devices.
Corrosion protection: Electrochemical cells are used for cathodic
protection to prevent corrosion of metal structures in harsh
environments such as marine and industrial settings.

Electroplating: Electrochemical cells are used in electroplating to

deposit a thin layer of metal onto a substrate for decorative or
functional purposes.
Sensors: Electrochemical cells are used in chemical sensors to detect
the presence of specific chemicals in a sample. These sensors are
used in applications such as medical diagnostics, environmental
monitoring, and industrial process control.

OXYGEN SENSOR^

Electrolysis: Electrochemical cells are used in electrolysis to break

down compounds into their constituent elements or ions. This is used
in applications such as metal refining, water treatment, and
production of hydrogen gas.
Biomedical applications: Electrochemical cells are used in various
biomedical applications, such as implantable medical devices,
biosensors, and drug delivery systems.

Overall, electrochemical cells have a wide range of applications due to

their ability to convert chemical energy into electrical energy and vice
versa. They are used in many different industries and fields, and
continue to be an important area of research and development.
 CONCLuSION
In conclusion, electrochemical cells are devices that convert chemical
energy into electrical energy and vice versa. They are an important
area of study in the field of electrochemistry and have a wide range of
practical applications in various fields.

In our project, we have learned about the basic principles of

electrochemical cells, including the different types of cells and their
components. We have also discussed the applications of
electrochemical cells in areas such as batteries, fuel cells, corrosion
protection, electroplating, sensors, electrolysis, and biomedical
applications.

Through our project, we have gained a deeper understanding of

electrochemical cells and their importance in modern technology.
 bIbLIOGRAPHY
 National Renewable Energy Laboratory: https://www.nrel.gov/

 American Chemical Society: https://www.acs.org/

 Battery University: https://batteryuniversity.com/

 Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking:

https://www.fch.europa.e

 International Society of Electrochemistry: https://www.ise-

online.org

 Corrosionpedia: https://www.corrosionpedia.com/

 The Electrochemistry Encyclopedia:

https://www.electrochem.org/

 Basic Chemistry Information : https://www.wikipedia.org/

 Images :- Google Photos

 Images :- Adobe Stock

 Images :- Shutter Stock