Electrochemical Cell
Purpose
The electrochemical cell makes electricity because of a Redox reaction. Our experiments will determine which combination of metals and their nitrate solutions produce electricity.
Materials
- Safety items include goggles, apron and latex gloves. Read the MSDS sheets before touching any chemicals and wear the safety equipment properly.
- Pick up one strip of each type of metal.
- You will need 30 ml of 1 M solutions containing metal nitrate in a 50 ml beaker.
- voltmeter, 2 wire test leads with alligator clips, and sandpaper.
Procedure
- Shine the metals with sandpaper and place them next to their nitrate solutions.
- Connect the test leads to the voltmeter and two metals.
- Make a salt bridge from paper towel wetted with potassium nitrate solution.
- Insert the metals into the solutions without touching the salt bridge.
- Immediately take the highest reading. If the needle drops below zero then switch the test leads, but not the metals.
- Clean the metals after each test. Test all possible combinations of metals. Leave one cell operating and see what happens over time.
Conclusion
-
List the voltages in order with the highest at the top. Put the metals involved next to each voltage. Put down the accepted voltages from the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.
- Make up an activity series of the metals based on your data. Start by putting the elements from the highest voltage at the top and bottom and then use intermediate values to fill in. Why?
- What are some factors responsible for the differences in voltmeter readings you got and the accepted values? What happens to the voltage over time?
- Write balanced reactions that occured and label reduction equation, oxidation equation, combined equation, reducing agent, oxidizing agent and voltage.
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Materials
- Safety items include goggles, apron and latex gloves. Read the MSDS sheets before touching any chemicals and wear the safety equipment properly.
- Pick up one strip of each type of metal.
- You will need 30 ml of 1 M solutions containing metal nitrate in a 50 ml beaker.
- voltmeter, 2 wire test leads with alligator clips, and sandpaper.
Procedure
- Shine the metals with sandpaper and place them next to their nitrate solutions.
- Connect the test leads to the voltmeter and two metals.
- Make a salt bridge from paper towel wetted with potassium nitrate solution.
- Insert the metals into the solutions without touching the salt bridge.
- Immediately take the highest reading. If the needle drops below zero then switch the test leads, but not the metals.
- Clean the metals after each test. Test all possible combinations of metals. Leave one cell operating and see what happens over time.
Conclusion
- List the voltages in order with the highest at the top. Put the metals involved next to each voltage. Put down the accepted voltages from the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.
- Make up an activity series of the metals based on your data. Start by putting the elements from the highest voltage at the top and bottom and then use intermediate values to fill in. Why?
- What are some factors responsible for the differences in voltmeter readings you got and the accepted values? What happens to the voltage over time?
- Write balanced reactions that occured and label reduction equation, oxidation equation, combined equation, reducing agent, oxidizing agent and voltage.