Quantitative electrolysis Electrochemistry

Objectives A10.4 Quantitative electrolysis

By the end of this topic you will

The volumes of gases and masses of substances produced during electrolysis

be able to:

can be calculated using t he mole concept t hat you studied in Unit 7. Michael

Faraday (1791–1867) was t he rst person to propose t hat t he mass of a

● dene the Faraday constant

substance produced at an electrode during electrolysis is directly propor tional

● calculate the volumes of gases

to t he quantity of electricity passing t hrough t he electrolytic cell.

and masses of substances

produced during electrolysis.

The quantity of electricity, or quantity of electrical charge, is given t he

symbol Q and is measured in units called coulombs, C. During electrolysis,

electrons ow from t he anode to t he cat hode t hrough electrical wires.

Each electron owing t hrough t hese wires has an electrical charge which is

Did you know?

? extremely small. n fact, t he electrical charge on one electron is so small t hat

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when 1 C of electrical charge ows t hrough a circuit, 6.25  10 electrons

The electrical charge on one

have owed.
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electron is 1.6  10 C. This

means that 1 C of electrical charge

The quantity of electricity or electrical charge owing t hrough an electrolytic

1
___________
is equivalent to cell during electrolysis depends on two factors.

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1.6  10

electrons.
● The rate of ow of the electrical charge, i.e. the current, which is given

the symbol I and is measured in units called amperes (also known as

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amps), A. A current of 1 amp is equivalent to 1 C, or 6.25  10 electrons,

owing for 1 s.

● The lengt h of time, t, t hat t he current ows for, measured in seconds, s

The quantity of electricity or electrical charge can t hen be calculated using

t he following formula:

quantity of electrical charge (C)  current (A)  time (s)

i.e. Q  I  t

Example

Calculate t he quantity of electrical charge t hat ows when a current of 2.0 A

ows in a circuit for 20 min.

Current  2.0 A

Time in seconds  20  60  1200 s

∴ quantity of electrical charge owing  2  1200 C  2400 C

We can relate t his to moles if we consider t he electrical charge which 1 mol

of electrons has. You will recall t hat 1 mol of electrons is equivalent to

Key fact

!
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6.0  10 electrons. The charge on one electron is 1.6  10 C, t herefore,

The Faraday constant is the size

if we have 1 mol of electrons, t hese electrons would have a total charge of

of the electrical charge on one mole

96 500 C. This value is known as t he Farad ay constant

of electrons, i.e. 96 500 C mol .

Dur ing electrolysis, a cation wit h a single positive charge, i.e. M , is

discharged at t he cat hode according to t he following equation:

M  e M

This shows t hat 1 mol of electrons is required to discharge 1 mol of M ions

and form 1 mol of M or, applying t he Faraday constant, 96 500 C is required

to discharge 1 mol of M ions and form 1 mol of M. This also applies when

discharging 1 mole of anions wit h a single negative charge at t he anode, i.e.

96 500 C is required.

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Electrochemistry Quantitative electrolysis

The following examples will show how we can use t he Faraday constant

to calculate t he volumes of gases and masses of substances formed during

electrolysis. You will recall t he following quantities t hat relate moles to mass

and volumes of gases.

Molar mass, M  mass of 1 mol of a substance.

Molar volume, V  volume of 1 mol of a gas.

m

3 3

At stp, V  22.4 dm , at r tp, V  24.0 dm

m m

Examples

1 Calculate t he mass of lead produced at t he cat hode when a current

of 5.0 A ows t hrough molten lead(II) bromide for 16 minutes and

5 seconds.

Determine t he quantity of electricity t hat ows:

Current  5.0 A

Time in seconds  (16  60)  5  965 s

∴ quantity of electricity  (5.0  965) C  4825 C

Write t he equation for t he reaction at t he cat hode:

2

Pb (l)  2e Pb(l)

From t he equation:

2 mol of electrons are required to form 1 mol Pb.

∴ 2  96 500 C form 1 mol Pb

i.e. 193 000 C form 1 mol Pb

1
________

∴ 1 C forms mol Pb

193 000

1
________

∴ 4825 C forms  4825 mol Pb

193 000

 0.025 mol Pb

M(Pb)  207 g mol

i.e. mass of 1 mol Pb  207 g

∴ mass of 0.025 mol Pb  0.025  207 g  5.175 g

2 f an electric current of 2.5 A is passed t hrough dilute sulfuric acid for

2 hours 34 minutes and 24 seconds, calculate t he volume of oxygen

produced at t he anode at r tp.

Determine t he quantity of electricity t hat ows:

Current  2.5 A

Time in seconds  (2  60  60)  (34  60)  24  9264 s

∴ quantity of electricity  (2.5  9264) C  23 160 C

Equation for t he reaction at t he anode:

4OH (aq) 2H O(aq)  O (g)  4e

2 2

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 Quantitative electrolysis Electrochemistry

From t he equation:

4 mol electrons are lost in forming 1 mol O

2

∴ 4  96 500 C form 1 mol O

2

i.e. 386 000 C form 1 mol O

2

1
________

∴ 1 C forms mol O
2

386 000

1
________

∴ 23 160 C forms  23 160 mol O

2

386 000

 0.06 mol O
2

Volume of 1 mol O at r tp  24.0 dm

2

3 3

∴ volume of 0.06 mol O  0.06  24.0 dm  1.44 dm

2

3 A solution of copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes.

Determine t he decrease in mass of t he anode if a current of 4.0 A passes

t hrough t he solution for 32 minutes and 10 seconds.

Determine t he quantity of electricity t hat ows:

Current  4.0 A

Time in seconds  (32  60)  10  1930 s

∴ quantity of electricity  4.0  1930 C  7720 C

Equation for t he reaction at t he anode:

2

Cu(s) Cu (aq)  2e

From t he equation:

2

2 mol electrons are lost in forming 1 mol Cu ions.

2

∴ 2  96 500 C form 1 mol Cu ions

2

i.e. 193 000 C form 1 mol Cu ions

1
________ 2

∴ 1 C forms mol Cu ions

193 000

1
________ 2

∴ 7720 C forms  7720 mol Cu ions

193 000

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 0.04 mol Cu ions

2 1

M(Cu )  64 g mol

2

i.e. mass of 1 mol Cu ions  64 g

2

∴ mass of 0.04 mol Cu ions  0.04  64 g  2.56 g

Therefore, decrease in mass of t he anode  2.56 g

4 A steel spoon needs to be electroplated wit h 13 g of chromium.

Calculate the length of time that a current of 15 A would have to ow to

electroplate the spoon when placed as the cathode of the electrolytic cell.

Calculate t he number of moles of chromium which need to be

produced:

M(Cr)  52 g mol

i.e. mass of 1 mol Cr  52 g

13
___

∴ number of moles in 13.0 g  mol  0.25 mol

52

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Electrochemistry Industrial applications of electrolysis

Equation for t he reaction at t he cat hode:

3

Cr (aq)  3e Cr(s)

From t he equation:

3 mol electrons form 1 mol Cr.

∴ 3  96 500 C form 1 mol Cr

i.e. 289 500 C form 1 mol Cr.

∴ 0.25  289 500 C form 0.25 mol Cr  72 375 C

Therefore, t he quantity of electricity required  72 375 C

Calculate t he time taken for 72 375 C to ow using a current of 15 A:

quantity of electricity (C)  current (A)  time (s)

72 375 C  15 A  time (s)

72 375
______

∴ time  s

15

 4825 s

 1 hour 20 minutes 25 seconds

t would take 1 hour 20 minutes 25 seconds to electroplate the spoon.

Summary questions

1 Dene the Faraday constant.

2 Calculate the mass of magnesium that would be deposited on the

cathode when a current of 5.0 A ows through molten magnesium

chloride for 2 hours 40 minutes and 50 seconds.

3 Determine the volume of chlorine that would be produced at the anode

at rtp when a current of 2.5 A ows through concentrated sodium

chloride solution for 51 minutes and 28 seconds.

4 How long must a current of 10.0 A ow through a solution of copper( II)

sulfate to produce 25.6 g of copper at the cathode?

A10.5 Industrial applications of electrolysis Objectives

By the end of this topic you will

Electrolysis is used in many ways in industr y including:

be able to:

● extracting metals from t heir ores

● describe how electrolysis can

● purifying metals, i.e. electrorening

be used to extract metals from

● plating one metal wit h anot her, i.e. electroplating

their ores

● coating a metal wit h its oxide, i.e. anodising.

● describe how electrolysis can

be used to purify metals

We will now look at each of t hese in more detail.

● describe the process of

electroplating
Extraction of metals

● describe the process of

Ver y few metals are found in t heir free state in t he Ear t h’s cr ust. Most are
anodising.

found bonded to ot her elements in ionic compounds known as minerals.

Minerals from which metals can be extracted are known as ores. The process

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