Question

4.If your copper anode had partially disintegrated during electrolysis (i.e. some of the anode never makes it to the final weighing) what will the effect (increase, decrease, stay the same) of this error have on (a.) the calculated value of coulombs per faraday, and (b.) the calculated value of the equivalent mass of copper? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

If copper electrodes are used as Cathode and Anode then during loss of copper takes place at Anode but same amount of copper is deposited at the Cathode. So there is no effect on the mass of copper in the given electrolytic copper cell.

The loss of Cu at Anode = The loss of Cu at Cathode

1 Faraday = The charge of 1 mole of electrons

1 mole electrons = 6.023 x 10²³ electrons

Charge of 1 electron = 1.602 x 10^-19 Coloumbs

Therefore charge of 1 mole electrons = (6.023 x 10²³ ) x ( 1.602 x 10^-19 ) Coloumbs

1 Faraday = 9.6488 x 10⁴ coloumbs

= 96488 coloumbs

Equivalent mass of copper = Atomic Mass of copper / charge on Cu

Eq. Mass of Cu = 63.5 g / 2

= 31.75 g