University of Mindanao

Matina, Davao City

Electrochemistry: Redox Reactions and Voltaic cells

BSChE III/L- Chemistry for Engineers

Submitted by:

Bacalso, Justine M.
BS ChE 1

Submitted to:

Engr. Jay Carlo Aguilar

Instructor

Date: September 25, 2018

Electrochemistry

According to (Shorb, 2017), Electrochemistry is the study of chemical processes that

cause electrons to move. This movement of electrons is called electricity, which can be

generated by movements of electrons from one element to another in a reaction known as

an oxidation-reduction ("redox") reaction.

Electrochemistry and its principles constitute the fundamental base for the evolution of

numerous entities of the physical world and are also essential for all activities of living

beings. As a matter of course, electrochemical technology based on electrochemistry also

plays an important role in many modern manufacturing processes and products especially in

the fields of micro technology which revolutionize almost all aspects of everyday

life. Electrochemistry shows wide acceptability in achieving required shape of products and

implementation in micro manufacturing processes, which has been established as a

multibillion dollar market with applications in information, entertainment, medical,

automotive, telecom, and many other technologies (Bhattacharyya, 2015).

Electrochemistry concerns chemical phenomena associated with charge separation, usually in

liquid media, such as solutions. The separation of charge is often associated with charge

transfer, which can occur homogeneously in solution between different chemical species, or

heterogeneously on electrode surfaces. It can thus be seen immediately that its applications

are extremely wide and will be indicated later. In order to ensure electro neutrality, two or

more charge transfer half-reactions take place simultaneously, in opposite directions:

oxidation (loss of electrons or increase in oxidation state) and reduction (gain of electrons or

decrease in oxidation state) (Brett, 2014).

Oxidation- Reduction Reaction

Oxidation-reduction reaction, also called redox reaction, any chemical reaction in

which the oxidation number of a participating chemical species changes. The term covers a

large and diverse body of processes. Many oxidation-reduction reactions are as common and

familiar as fire, the rusting and dissolution of metals, the browning of fruit,

and respiration and photosynthesis—basic life functions. Most oxidation-reduction (redox)

processes involve the transfer of oxygen atoms, hydrogen atoms, or electrons, with all three

processes sharing two important characteristics: (1) they are coupled—i.e., in

any oxidation reaction a reciprocal reduction occurs, and (2) they involve a characteristic net

chemical change—i.e., an atom or electron goes from one unit of matter to another

(Gregersen, 2009).

Oxidation involves an increase in oxidation number, while reduction involves a

decrease in oxidation number. Usually, the change in oxidation number is associated with a

gain or loss of electrons, but there are some redox reactions (e.g., covalent bonding) that do

not involve electron transfer. Depending on the chemical reaction, oxidation and reduction

may involve any of the following for a given atom, ion, or molecule: Oxidation - involves the

loss of electrons or hydrogen OR gain of oxygen OR increase in oxidation state. Reduction -

involves the gain of electrons or hydrogen OR loss of oxygen OR decrease in oxidation state

(Helmenstine, 2018)
Balancing Redox Reactions

To balance redox reactions, assign oxidation numbers to the reactants and products to

determine how many moles of each species are needed to conserve mass and charge. First,

separate the equation into two half-reactions, the oxidation portion and the reduction portion.

This is called the half-reaction method of balancing redox reactions or the ion-electron

method. Each half-reaction is balanced separately and then the equations are added together

to give a balanced overall reaction. We want the net charge and number of ions to be equal on

both sides of the final balanced equation (Helmenstine, 2017).

Voltaic cell

A voltaic cell is a cell where chemical reactions between

dissimilar conductors connected through an electrolyte and a salt bridge produce

electric energy. A galvanic cell can also be powered by spontaneous oxidation-reduction

reactions. Essentially, a galvanic cell channels the electrical energy produced by the electron

transfer in a redox reaction. The electrical energy or current may be sent to a circuit, such as

in a television or light bulb (Helmenstine, 2018).

In redox reactions, electrons are transferred from one species to another. If the

reaction is spontaneous, energy is released, which can then be used to do useful work. To

harness this energy, the reaction must be split into two separate half reactions: the oxidation

and reduction reactions. The reactions are put into two different containers and a wire is used

to drive the electrons from one side to the other. In doing so, a Voltaic/ Galvanic Cell is

created (Singh & Gho, 2018).

References

Bhattacharyya, (2015). www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/electrochemistry

Brett, (2014). www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/electrochemistry

Helmenstine, (2017). How to Balance Redox Reactions

Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/balance-redox-reactions-607569

Helmenstine, (2018) Oxidation Reduction Reactions - Redox Reactions

https://www.thoughtco.com/oxidation-reduction-reactions-604037

Helmenstine, (2018). Galvanic Cell Definition (Voltaic Cell). Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/galvanic-cell-definition-604080

Gregersen, (2009). https://www.britannica.com/science/oxidation-reduction-

reaction/Historical-origins-of-the-redox-concept

Shorb,(2017) Retrieved from

https://chem.libretexts.org/Textbook_Maps/Analytical_Chemistry/Supplemental_
Modules_(Analytical_Chemistry)/Electrochemistry/Basics_of_Electrochemistry

Singh & Gho, (2018). Voltaic Cells. Retrieved from

https://chem.libretexts.org/Textbook_Maps/Analytical_Chemistry/Supplemental_Mod
ules_(Analytical_Chemistry)/Electrochemistry/Voltaic_Cells