Abstract
An electrochemical cell is a device capable of either generating electrical
energy from chemical reactions or using electrical energy to cause chemical
reactions. The electrochemical cells which generate an electric current are
called voltaic cells or galvanic cells and those that generate chemical
reactions, via electrolysis for example, are called electrolytic cells. A common
example of a galvanic cell is a standard 1.5 volt cell meant for consumer use.
A battery consists of one or more cells, connected in parallel, series or series-
and-parallel pattern.
Electrolytic cell
Nineteenth century electrolytic cell for producing oxyhydrogen.
An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that drives a non-
spontaneous redox reaction through the application of electrical energy. They are
often used to decompose chemical compounds, in a process called electrolysis—
the Greek word lysis means to break up.
Important examples of electrolysis are the decomposition
of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and bauxite into aluminium and other
chemicals. Electroplating (e.g. of copper, silver, nickel or chromium) is done
using an electrolytic cell. Electrolysis is a technique that uses a direct electric
current (DC).
An electrolytic cell has three component parts: an electrolyte and two electrodes
(a cathode and an anode). The electrolyte is usually a solution of water or
other solvents in which ions are dissolved. Molten salts such as sodium
chloride are also electrolytes. When driven by an external voltage applied to the
electrodes, the ions in the electrolyte are attracted to an electrode with the
opposite charge, where charge-transferring (also called faradaic or redox) reactions
can take place. Only with an external electrical potential (i.e. voltage) of correct
polarity and sufficient magnitude can an electrolytic cell decompose a normally
stable, or inert chemical compound in the solution. The electrical energy provided
can produce a chemical reaction which would not occur spontaneously otherwise
Galvanic cell or voltaic cell
Galvanic cell with no cation flow
A galvanic cell, or voltaic cell, named after Luigi Galvani, or Alessandro
Volta respectively, is an electrochemical cell that derives electrical energy from
spontaneous redox reactions taking place within the cell. It generally consists of
two different metals connected by a salt bridge, or individual half-cells separated
by a porous membrane.
Primary cell
A primary cell is a Galvanic battery that is designed to be used once and discarded,
in contrast to a secondary cell (rechargeable battery), which can be recharged
with electricity and reused. In general, the electrochemical reaction occurring in
the cell is not reversible, rendering the cell unrechargeable. As a primary cell is
used, chemical reactions in the battery use up the chemicals that generate the
power; when they are gone, the battery stops producing electricity and is useless.
In contrast, in a secondary cell, the reaction can be reversed by running a
current into the cell with a battery charger to recharge it, regenerating the
chemical reactants. Primary cells are made in a range of standard sizes to power
small household appliances such as flashlights and portable radios.
Primary batteries make up about 90% of the $50 billion battery market, but
secondary batteries have been gaining market share. About 15 billion primary
batteries are thrown away worldwide every year, virtually all ending up in landfills.
Due to the toxic heavy metals and strong acids or alkalis they contain, batteries
are hazardous waste. Most municipalities classify them as such and require
separate disposal. The energy needed to manufacture a battery is about 50 times
greater than the energy it contains.
INTRODUCTION
This model of the chemical reactions makes several predictions that were
examined in experiments published by Jerry Goodisman in 2001. Goodisman notes
that numerous recent authors propose chemical reactions for the lemon battery
that involve dissolution of the copper electrode into the electrolyte. Goodisman
excludes this reaction as being inconsistent with the experiments, and notes that
the correct chemistry, which involves the evolution of hydrogen at the copper
electrode, has been known for many years. When the electrolyte was modified by
adding zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), the voltage from the cell was reduced as predicted
using the Nernst equation for the model. The Nernst equation essentially says how
much the voltage drops as more zinc sulfate is added.
The addition of copper sulfate (CuSO4) did not affect the voltage. This result is
consistent .When the battery is hooked up to an external circuit and a significant
electrical current is flowing, the zinc electrode loses mass, as predicted by the zinc
oxidation reaction above. Similarly, hydrogen gas evolves as bubbles from the
copper electrode. Finally, the voltage from the cell depended upon the acidity of
the electrolyte, as measured by its pH; decreasing acidity (and increasing pH)
causes the voltage to fall. This effect is also predicted by the Nernst equation; the
particular acid that was used (citric, hydrochloric, sulfuric, etc.) doesn't affect the
voltage except through the pH value.
Production of current through SELFMADE battery
The Nernst equation prediction failed for strongly acid electrolytes (pH < 3.4),
when the zinc electrode dissolves into the electrolyte even when the battery is not
providing any current to a circuit. The two oxidation-reduction reactions listed
above only occur when electrical charge can be transported through the external
circuit. The additional, open-circuit reaction can be observed by the formation of
bubbles at the zinc electrode under open-circuit. This effect ultimately limited the
voltage of the cells to 1.0 V near room temperature at the highest levels of acidity.
Energy source
The energy comes from the chemical change in the zinc (or other metal) when it
dissolves into the acid. The energy does not come from the lemon or potato. The
zinc is oxidized inside the lemon, exchanging some of its electrons with the acid in
order to reach a lower energy state, and the energy released provides the power.
In current practice, zinc is produced by electron winning of ZnSO4 or
pyrometallurgic reduction of zinc with carbon, which requires an energy input. The
energy produced in the lemon battery comes from reversing this reaction,
recovering some of the energy input during the zinc production.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
• Distilled Water, Coldrink, Salt Water
• Connecting Wire
• Copper And Zinc Strips
• Digital Clock
PROCEDURE
• Assemble a “connection pair” by connecting the wire carefully thread the wire’s
exposed metallic end through the holes on the plate. Gently twist wire to secure it
to the plate.
• Afterwards, connect the black wire from the LCD clock (negative) to one of the
zinc plate. Then connect red wire from LCD clock (positive) to piece of copper
plate. Now all the components are connected
• Insert the copper and zinc plates into salt water such that the metallic strips do
not touch each other. The clock now starts to work.
• Repeat this experiment with distilled water & coldrink.
Due to their high pollutant content compared to their small energy content, the
primary battery is considered a wasteful, environmentally unfriendly technology.
Due mainly to increasing sales of wireless devices and cordless tools, which
cannot be economically powered by primary batteries and come with integral
rechargeable batteries, the secondary battery industry has high growth and has
slowly been replacing the primary battery in high end products.
OBSERVATION
As soon as we connect the wires and put the key on electricity generated by the
fruit juice flows through the clock, making the clock run in case of salt water and
coldrink. The clock does not work when the rods are immersed in distilled water as
no current flows.
RESULT
The metal strips and liquid make a simple battery that creates the electricity to
operate the clock. Salty water and coldrink work as a device called electrochemical
cell. It converts the chemical energy stored in the metal strips into strips into
electrical energy.
A cell works because of the chemical properties of the metals inside (in this case
the copper and zinc). The different properties cause tiny particles charged with
electricity (ions) to move between the two strips of metal. This flow is an electric
current. The liquid which conduct electricity contains the particles that allow the
current to flow, but it stops the metals touching. Electric current also flows along
the wire between the zinc and copper strips & the clock. This current makes the
clock run.
SALT WATER: The ions present in common salt sodium chloride dissociate into ions
of sodium and chloride. These ions are responsible for conduction of electricity.
Potential is provided by copper and zinc rods.
DISTILLED WATER: There is absence of ions in distilled water therefore the distilled
water doesn't conduct electricity and hence the clock doesn’t work. Though the H+
and OH- but the pH is 7 therefore the ion dissociation is not enough only 10-7M H+
is present in distilled water. so this can not conduct electricity.
COLDRINK: The coldrink too contains ions which dissociate to conduct electricity
NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL
YESHWANTHPUR
TERM-2
CHEMISTRY PROJECT
TOPIC:ELECTROLYTIC CELL
NAME:VAIBH
AV SINGH
CLASS:11A
ROLL NO:29
INDEX
SI.NO TOPIC PAGE NO
1-2
1 Electrolytic cell ,
ABSTRACT
3
2 Galvanic cell or voltaic cell
Primary cell
3 INTRODUCTION 4-6
4 MATERIALS 6-7
REQUIRED,PROCEDURE
5 OBSERVATION 7
6 RESULT 8
PICTURE
7 8-9
