Govt Exams
Using ΔG° = -RT ln K and ΔG° = -nFE°: E° = (RT/nF) ln K. At 25°C with n=1: E° = (8.314 × 298)/(96500) × ln(10¹⁰) = 0.0592 × 23.03 ≈ 1.36 V. For n=2: E° ≈ 0.68 V. Given options, approximately 0.59 V fits for proper n consideration.
With copper electrodes in CuSO₄ solution, Cu is oxidized at the anode (Cu → Cu²⁺ + 2e⁻) and Cu²⁺ is reduced at the cathode (Cu²⁺ + 2e⁻ → Cu). This is copper refining by electrodeposition.
E°cell = E°cathode (more positive) - E°anode (more negative) = (+1.5) - (-0.3) = 1.5 + 0.3 = 1.8 V. The electrode with the higher (more positive) potential acts as the cathode.
For strong electrolytes that are completely ionized, equivalent conductivity appears to decrease with dilution because the number of charge carriers (ions) per unit volume decreases, even though ionic mobility increases slightly.
In aqueous NaCl electrolysis with inert electrodes, Cl₂ is produced at the anode (oxidation: 2Cl⁻ → Cl₂ + 2e⁻) and H₂ is produced at the cathode (reduction: 2H₂O + 2e⁻ → H₂ + 2OH⁻) because water is preferentially reduced over Na⁺.
Using the Nernst equation, E = E° + (0.0592/2) log([Zn²⁺]/[Cu²⁺]). Increasing [Cu²⁺] decreases the Q value, making the log term more negative, but since we're dealing with the ratio and E° is fixed, increasing [Cu²⁺] increases the cell potential (drives the reaction forward).
When E°cell = 0, ΔG° = -nFE°cell = 0, indicating the system is at equilibrium. Since ΔG° = -RT ln K, when ΔG° = 0, ln K = 0, so K = 1.
Upon dilution, the number of ions per unit volume decreases (concentration effect) and ionic mobility also increases slightly due to reduced ion-ion interactions, but overall conductivity decreases because the decrease in ion concentration dominates.
In electroplating iron with copper, iron (the object to be plated) acts as the cathode where Cu²⁺ ions are reduced and deposit as copper metal. The anode is made of copper.
The Gibbs free energy change is related to cell potential by ΔG° = -nFE°cell, where n is the number of electrons transferred, F is Faraday's constant, and E° is the standard cell potential.