Chapter 18: Electrochemistry
Key Topics:
- We will start with a look back at Chapter 4, where you were first introduced to redox reactions. You should
be able to assign oxidation numbers and identify the element oxidized or reduced in a reaction. You should also be able to identify
the oxidizing and reducing agents in a reaction. We will review this, but just like the thermodynamics chapter, you will need
to make sure that you don't overlook these skills! See problems in Chapter 4 for more practice in these areas.
- You should be
able to balance a redox reaction in both acidic and alkaline solutions.
- You should be able to draw and label every part of a
voltaic cell. And, you should be able to use a redox reaction to draw a voltaic cell or write a reaction based on a drawing
of a voltaic cell.
- Understand the difference between a galvanic cell and electrolysis. Simply put, galvanic cells flow in the
spontaneous direction while electrolysis uses an electrical charge to drive a nonspontaneous reaction.
- You should be able to use a
table of electrode potentials to predict whether a redox reaction is spontaneous, and whether something will be reduced/oxidized in
the presence of a given substance.
- Be able to use and interpret equations surrounding cell potential that connect it to thermodynamics
and equilibrium constants. Conceptually, use these equations to answer: "if a reaction is spontaneous, and K is large, what should
I expect for my cell potential?" Mathematically, be able to solve for each value given the others.
- The Nernst equation should
be used to calculate the cell potential when nonstandard conditions are used. This is the basis for concentration cells!
Chapter Problems: # {1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 17, 18, 20, 37-43, 45, 47-49, 51-57, 59-63, 65, 67, 69-77, 79, 87-92, 97, 103, 104, 106,
136-138}