Grossmont College

Chemistry 142
Spring 2011

Name _____________________________
Section__________ Date ______________

Exam 3
Part I: Multiple Choice (2 points each)
Directions: Please circle the best answer for each of the following questions.
Question 1.
A salt bridge is used to
a) provide reactants in a fuel cell.
b) determine the direction of the cell reaction.
c) control whether the cell is electrolytic or
galvanic.
d) allow the ion flow necessary for cell neutrality.
e) none of the above
Question 2.

Which
cell
involves
a
nonspontaeous redox reaction.
a) Concentration cell
b) Electrolytic cell
c) Fuel cell
d) Galvanic cell
e) All of the above

Question 3. Apart from environmental concerns,

why is it unwise to dispose of
chemical down the sink?
a) Solids that are insoluble in water will remain
the sink trap and perhaps react with
subsequent chemical poured down the sink.
b) Some chemicals can produce toxic gases when
mixed with other chemicals in the sink trap.
c) Some chemical may react unexpectedly with
other chemicals in the sink trap.
d) B and C
e) All of the above

Question 6.

For the evaporation of water

during perspiration on a hot, dry
day,
a) H is positive and TS = H.
b) H is positive and TS > H.
c) H is positive and TS < H.
d) H is negative and TS is
positive.
e) none of the above

Question 7.

Which should have the highest

standard molar entropy at 25 C?
a) Al (s)
b) Al (l)
c) Al (g)
d) a and b
e) all of the above

Question 8.

The ______________ law of

thermodynamics provides a
criterion for spontaneity.
a) first
b) second
c) third
d) second and third
e) first and third

Question 9.

Which is most often used in the

laboratory to measure pH?
a) A glass electrode
b) A
standard
hydrogen
electrode
c) A Daniell cell
d) A conductivity cell
e) none of the above

Question 10.

Mercury is dangerous to use in

the lab because
a) it is toxic.
b) it is a liquid and can easily
get trapped in cracks.
c) it is easily absorbed through
the skin.
d) all of the above
e) none of the above

Question 4.

Doubling all the coefficients in

the equation for the cell reaction
a) Doubles both E and G
b) Double E, but does not change G
c) Double G, but does not change E
d) Does not change E or G
e) Not enough information

Question 5.

Which one represents a proper

shorthand notation for this cell?
a) Cu2+(aq)| Cu (s)|| Ag+ (aq)|Ag (s)
b) Cu (s)|Cu2+(aq)|| Ag (s)|Ag+ (aq)
c) Cu2+(aq)| Cu (s)|| Ag (s)|Ag+ (aq)
d) Cu (s)|Cu2+(aq)|| Ag+ (aq)|Ag (s)
e) none of the above

Page 1 of 5

Chemistry 142
Vance

Spring 2011
Exam 3

Part II: Short Answer

Directions: Answer each of the following questions. Be sure to use complete
sentences where appropriate. For full credit be sure to show all of your work.
Question 1.

What species is oxidized and what species is reduced in the electrolysis of

a pure molten salt (2 points)?
The anion is oxidized. The cation is reduced to the metal.

Question 2.

What is a perpetual motion machine? Is such a machine possible given the

laws of thermodynamics (4 points)?
A perpetual motion machine is a machine that perpetually moves without
any energy input. This machine is not possible because if the machine is to
be in motion, but must pay the heat tax with each cycle of its motion
over time, it will therefore run down and stop moving.

Question 3.

Circle the nonspontaneous processes. Are the nonspontaneous processes

impossible (4 points)?
a. A bike going up a hill.
b. A meteor falling to Earth.
c. Obtaining hydrogen gas from liquid water.
d. A ball rolling down a hill.
Nonspontaneous processes are not impossible, but work of some form
must be added to make the process proceed.

Question 4.

The number of ways of getting a two when rolling a pair of dice is 2 and
the number of ways of getting a seven is 6. What is the entropy changed
for going from a roll of a two to a roll of seven (8 points)?

2, W1 = 2
7, W2 = 6
( )

( )

Page 2 of 5

Chemistry 142
Vance
Question 5.

Spring 2011
Exam 3
For the phase transition M (s1) M (s2) of a metal M from solid(1) to
solid(2), H = -14.07 kJ and S = -0.0480 kJ mol-1 K-1 at -84 C (12
points).
a. What is the value of G for the transition?
(

)(

b. At what temperature does G = 0 and what is the significance of that

value?

Transition from solid(1) to solid(2).

c. Which phase is favored at 0 C?
Question 6.

solid(2)

Calculate Ksp for PbI2 at 25 C based on the following data (12 points):
Species
Pb2+ (aq)
I- (aq)
PbI2 (s)

Gf, kJ/mol
-24.4
-51.6
-173.6

PbI2 (s) Pb2+ (aq) + 2 I- (aq)

G f = [(1 mol)(G Pb2+ (aq)) + (2 mol)( G I- (aq))] (1 mol)( G PbI2 (s))

Gf = [(1 mol)(-24.4 kJ/mol) + (2 mol)(-51.6 kJ/mol)] (1 mol)(-173.6 kJ/mol)
Gf = 46.0 kJ
G = G + RT ln(Q) G = - RT ln(Ksp)
(

Page 3 of 5

)(

Chemistry 142
Vance
Question 7.

Spring 2011
Exam 3
Why cant a wire perform the same function as a porous separator in an
electrochemical cell (4 points)?
A wire cannot allow the movement of ions from one side of the voltaic
cell to the other to maintain electrical neutrality in the half-cells.

Question 8.

Permanganate ion can oxidize sulfite to sulfate in basic solution (18

points):
MnO4- (aq) + SO32- (aq) MnO2 (s) + SO42- (aq)
E = 1.51 V
a. Write the balanced chemical reaction.

Oxidation:
(2 OH- (aq) + SO32- (aq) SO42- (aq) + H2O (l) + 2 e-) x 3
Reduction: + (3 e- + 2 H2O (l) + MnO4- (aq) MnO2 (s) + 4 OH- (aq)) x 2

E = 0.92 V
E = 0.59 V

6 OH-(aq) + 3 SO32- (aq) + 6 e- + 4 H2O (l) + 2 MnO4- (aq) 3 SO42- (aq) + 3 H2O (l) + 6 e- +2 MnO2 (s) + 8 OH- (aq)

Net Ionic Equation:

3 SO32- (aq) + H2O (l) + 2 MnO4- (aq) 3 SO42- (aq) + 2 MnO2 (s) + 2 OH- (aq)

b. Write the line notation for the reaction.

Pt (s) | SO32- (aq), OH- (aq), SO42- (aq) || MnO4- (aq), OH- (aq) | MnO2 (s) | Pt (s)
c. Determine the potential for the reaction at 298 K when the
concentrations of the reactants and products are as follows: [MnO4-] =
0.150 M, [SO32-] = 0.356 M, [SO42-] = 0.178 M, and [OH-] = 0.0100
M.
(
)(

(
(

)(

)
(
(
(

) (
) (

)
)
)

d. Will the value of Erxn increase or decrease as the reaction proceeds?

Erxn will increase as the reaction proceeds.

Page 4 of 5

Chemistry 142
Vance
Question 9.

Spring 2011
Exam 3
The positive terminal of a voltaic cell is the cathode. However, the cathode
of an electrolytic cell is connected to the negative terminal of a power
supply. Explain this difference in polarity (4 points).
In a voltaic cell the electrons are produced at the anode so a (-) charge
builds up there; in an electrolytic cell electrons are being forced onto the
cathode so it builds up (-) charge. The flow of electrons in the outside
circuit is reversed in an electrolytic cell compared to the flow in a voltaic
cell.

Question 10. A current of 11.3 A is applied to 1.25 L of a solution of 0.552 M HBr

converting some of the H+ in to H2 (g), which bubbles out of solution. What
is the pH of the solution after 73 minutes (12 points)?
2 H+ (aq) + 2 e- H2 (g)

Page 5 of 5