CH 302 Unit 3: Electrochemistry

This set of flashcards covers key concepts and vocabulary related to electrochemistry based on the lecture notes provided.

Electrochemistry

The branch of chemistry that deals with the relationship between electricity and chemical reactions.

Oxidation number

A value assigned to an element in a compound that represents the number of electrons lost or gained.

Redox reaction

A chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons between two species.

Oxidizing agent

A substance that gains electrons in a chemical reaction, causing another substance to be oxidized.

Reducing agent

A substance that loses electrons in a chemical reaction, causing another substance to be reduced.

Electrochemical cell

A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through redox reactions.

Nernst equation

An equation that relates the concentration of reactants and products to the cell potential.

Standard half reaction potentials

Standard electrode potentials measured at 1 M concentration, 1 atm pressure, and 25 °C.

Faraday's constant

The magnitude of electric charge per mole of electrons, approximately $9.65 imes 10^4 ext{C/mol}$.

Atom Economy

A measure of the efficiency of a reaction in terms of how well the reactants are incorporated into the final product.

Galvanic cell

A type of electrochemical cell that generates electrical energy from spontaneous redox reactions.

Electrolytic cell

A type of electrochemical cell that consumes electrical energy to drive a non-spontaneous reaction.

Electrode

A conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an electrochemical cell.

Cathode

The electrode in an electrochemical cell where reduction occurs.

Anode

The electrode in an electrochemical cell where oxidation occurs.

Dead battery

A term used to describe a battery that has reached equilibrium and has zero cell potential.

Reactivity series

A list of metals arranged in order of decreasing reactivity.

Electrolytic reactivity

The tendency of a substance to undergo oxidation or reduction in an electrolytic cell.

ΔG° equation

An equation representing the relationship between free energy change, number of electrons transferred, Faraday's constant, and standard cell potential.

Balancing redox reactions

The process of ensuring that the number of atoms and charges are equal on both sides of the reaction.

Rust

Iron oxide formed by the oxidation of iron in the presence of moisture and oxygen.

Sulfuric acid production

The industrial process of producing sulfuric acid, which includes steps like the contact process and Claus process.

Bonding in carbons

Carbon can form covalent bonds with different allotropes including diamond and graphite.

Electrode potentials

The potential difference measured between two electrodes in an electrochemical cell.