Question

Electrochemistry is the study of the conversion between chemical and electrical energy. Describe how oxidation-reduction reactions are used to make a battery, converting the chemical energy from the reactions to electrical energy.

Answer 1

Answer –

We know the electrochemical cell is the store the chemical energy and then converted to electric energy. In the electrochemical cell there are composed of two half-cell reactions. The oxidation half reaction and reduction half reaction and these both reaction are connected with salt bridge. In the each half reaction there is electrode means metal plate the positive electrode is anode and negative electrode is cathode the electrons are follow form the anode to cathode means on the anode there is oxidation and on the cathode there reduction. At the anode there is one chemical getting the split and formed ions with releasing the electrons and these electron flow toward the cathode vai connected electric circuit and there is electrons can flow from the reducing agent to the oxidizing agent and formed electricity.

As the reaction of oxidation and reduction goes on there is formed electricity. In the oxidation-reduction reaction is loss and gain of electrons and on that basis it is used to make a battery, converting the chemical energy from the reactions to electrical energy.

Example Reaction –

Zn(s) -----> Zn²⁺ + 2e^-   oxidation half reaction

Cu²⁺ + 2e^- ----> Cu(s)   reduction half reaction

In the cell there is spontaneously occurred the oxidation of Zn(s) into Zn²⁺ and the reduction of Cu²⁺ to Cu(s) and it is happen due to the difference in the potential energy between Zn and Cu. There is electric movement due to the difference in potential energy between the anode and cathode. We know at the anode there are more electron, so there is more potential and electron flow for anode to cathode and there are 2 electrons flow, so there is measured in units of volts. We know one volt difference is required for the formed 1 coulomb to 1 J energy. So the due to oxidation reaction the difference of the 1 volt formed and there is formed electricity.