GENERAL CHEMISTRY II

ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELLS AND CELL
POTENTIALS
LAB 9
Bezawit Wube

Students will have the opportunity to study a redox reaction with

copper and zinc and use a multimeter to measure cell potentials.
They will learn the concepts of oxidation reduction by constructing
personal electrochemical cells and determining the net cell potentials
for several electrochemical cells

Objectives:

To study a redox reaction involving copper and zinc species

To construct a variety of electrochemical cells
To learn to use a digital multimeter to measure electrochemical cell
potentials and be able to use the appropriate sign conventions to
calculate standard reduction potentials from cell potentials
Materials:

1 Paper towels
1 Scissors
1 Plastic wrap
1 Cotton swabs
1 Tweezers
From LabPaq 1 Magnifier, dual
1 Multimeter-Digital
Experiment Bag
Electrochemical
Cells and Cell
Potentials
1 Aluminum Chloride, 1 M - 1 mL in Pipet
1 Aluminum Foil, 1/4" x 1/4" - 2 Pieces in Bag 2"x 3"
1 Copper (II) Sulfate, 1 M - 2 mL in Pipet
1 Copper Foil, 1/4" x 1/4" - 4 Pieces in Bag 2"x 3"
1 Lead Foil, 1/4" x 1/4" - 2 Pieces in Bag 2"x 3"
1 Lead Nitrate, 1 M - 2 mL in Pipet
1 Magnesium Ribbon, 1/4" x 1/4" - 2 Pieces in Bag
2"x 3"
1 Magnesium Sulfate, 1 M - 1 mL in Pipet
1 Potassium Nitrate, 1 M - 2 mL in Pipet
1 Tin Foil, 1/4" x 1/4" - 2 Pieces in Bag 2"x 3"
1 Tin II Chloride, 1 M - 1 mL in Pipet
1 Zinc Foil, 1/4" x 1/4" - 2 Pieces in Bag 2"x 3"
1 Zinc Sulfate, 1 M - 2 mL in Pipet
Special Papers
Bag
Special Papers
Bag-CK-2 3 Filter Paper 9.0 cm
Procedure:

Part I: Redox Reaction Investigations

1. With your tweezers place one piece each of copper metal (Cu (s)) and zinc
metal (Zn (s)) on the paper towel each a few centimeters from the other.

2. Place 2 drops of 1 M CuSO4 solution onto the top of the piece of Zn (s).
3. Place 2 drops of 1 M ZnSO4 solution onto the top of the piece of Cu (s).
4. Study each of the solution-metal interfaces with your hand lens. Record
your observations.
Note: The discoloration of the Zn (s) is due to the formation of finely divided
Cu (s) at the zinc metal surface. The chemical reaction is a spontaneous
reaction in which an electron transfer is taking place and it is called a
reduction-oxidation or redox reaction:
Cu2+ + Zn (s) Cu (s) + Zn2+
5. Look at the piece of copper metal with ZnSO4 on it.
6. Remove the ZnSO4 from the copper metal with a cotton swab and compare
the copper surface with another copper piece. Record your observations. The
non-spontaneous reaction, i.e., the redox reaction that did not occur, is:
Cu (s) + Zn2+ Cu2+ + Zn (s)
7. Dry the metal pieces and your work surface with paper towels and leave
the metal pieces on the plastic surface because you will be using them
again.

Part II: A Small Scale Electrochemical Cell

1. Set up your multimeter to measure DC voltage. Set on 2V DC (or 2000 mV
which equals 2V in thousandths). Use the two red and black needle probes.
2. Cut one piece of filter paper into an approximate 4 x 8 cm rectangle and
place it onto the plastic surface.
3. See Figure 1 below, and as illustrated place a piece of Cu (s) and a piece of
Zn (s) onto the filter paper about 3 cm apart.
4. Deliver 2 drops of 1 M CuSO4 to the paper just at the edge of the copper
metal so that the solution soaks under the metal piece.
5. Deliver 2 drops of 1 M ZnSO4 to the paper so that it soaks under the zinc
metal piece.
6. Deliver 2 drops 1 M KNO3 to the dry paper in between the wet circles. The
KNO3 solution will spread and run into the part of the paper wet with CuSO4
and ZnSO4.
7. Switch the multimeter on and touch the red probe (positive terminal) to
the piece of copper metal and the black probe (negative terminal) to the
piece of zinc metal. Read and record the voltage. Dont forget the sign!
8. Reverse the probes. Record what happens to the sign and switch the
meter off.
9. Write the half-reaction occurring at the anode, Zn (s).
10. Write the half-reaction occurring at the cathode, Cu (s).
The standard reduction potential Eo is 0.34 V (measured against a standard
hydrogen electrode).
You can verify this value in the Table of Standard Electrode (Reduction)
Potentials in your textbook.
Cu2+ + 2e- Cu (s)
This value can now be used to calculate the standard reduction potential for
Zn2+ + 2e- Zn (s)
At the anode the half-reaction is

Zn (s) Zn2+ + 2e-, Eo ox and at the cathode the half-reaction is

Cu2+ + 2e- Cu (s), Eo red = 0.34 V
The sum of these two half-reactions is the cell reaction
Cu2+ + Zn (s) Zn2+ + Cu (s), Eo cell = Eo ox + Eo red
Remember, you obtained Eo cell for the cell reaction when you measured the
voltage (potential) with your multimeter in Step 8.
Calculate Eo ox, the standard oxidation potential for
Zn (s) Zn2+ + 2eand then reverse the sign to obtain the standard
reduction potential for
Zn2+ + 2e- Zn (s)
11. Calculate the equilibrium constant for the spontaneous redox reaction
Cu2+ + Zn (s) Zn2+ + Cu (s) by using the relationship: log10K= nEo
cell/0.0592 (at 25C) where K is the equilibrium constant, n is the number of
electrons transferred in the redox reaction and Eo cell is the standard cell
potential.

Part III: An Electrochemical Series from Cell Data

The standard potential data obtained in this section may then be used to
interpret corrosion phenomena, design voltaic and electrolytic cells, and
arrange reduction reactions into an electrochemical series.
1. With one 9-cm filter paper make a cell template similar to the template
shown in the diagramthat follows.
2. Write on each sector the atomic symbols of the metals as shown.
3. Place the cutout paper onto your sheet of plastic.
4. Use your tweezers to transfer the appropriate metal pieces to each sector
and make sure they are arranged in the order shown.
5. Drop 2 drops of the related metal ion solution onto the paper at the edge
of each metal piece so that each metal is contacting the solution (i.e., CuSO4
solution with Cu metal square, MgSO4 solution with Mg metal, etc.).
6. Drop a few drops of KNO3 salt bridge solution into the middle so that it
soaks outwards and contacts all the other wet areas. Try not to use too
much!
7. Switch the multimeter to measure DC voltage. Take a measurement with
the red probe on Mg(s) and the black on Cu (s). Record results and dont
forget the sign!
8. Now keep the red probe on Mg (s) and take measurements by moving the
black probe around the circle in a clockwise manner. Record voltages and
signs.
9. Move the red probe to Cu (s) and continue around with the black probe.
When you have finished switch the meter off. Record voltages and signs.
10. Use the principles that you learned in Part II to calculate the standard
reduction potentials for each half-cell, given that the Eo for Cu2+ + 2e- Cu
(s) is 0.34 V.
Note that Eo for a half-reaction is not dependent on the coefficients, provided
of course that the reaction is balanced, i.e., Eo for
Ag+ + e- Ag (s) is the same as E o for Ag+ + 2e- 2 Ag (s)

11. Arrange the standard reduction potentials and corresponding halfreactions in order, starting with the most negative at the top of the table and
ending with the most positive at the bottom.
Data/ Observation:
Refers to Procedures Part III Step 9

Data Table 1: Data Measurements in mV

Cu red
Pb red
Sn red
Zn red
Al red
Mg red
Cu black 0
-319
-384
-904
-720
-1712
Pb black 335
0
-70
-586
-380
-1410
Sn black 363
38
0
-514
-360
-1240
Zn black 855
580
524
0
20
-790
Al black 759
508
405
-35
0
-220
Mg
1480
1140
1220
726
166
-480
black
* Pb results are most unreliable
Questions:
Part I:
A. What half-reactions (one a reduction, the other
an oxidation) can be written for this redox reaction?
Cu2+ Cu (s) + 2 eZn (s) + 2e- Zn2+
B. How many electrons
are being transferred from Zn (s) to
Cu2+?
2 electrons are being transferred from Zn(s) to Cu2+.
C.
Which is the reducing agent and
which is the oxidizing agent in this
reaction?
Zn is the reducing agent because it increases its oxidation
number from 0 to +2.
Cu2+ is the oxidizing agent because it decreases its oxidation
number from +2 to 0.

D. Why does the Cu (s) produced in the redox reaction

look very different from the copper metal piece?

Part II:
A. Switch the multimeter on and touch the red probe (positive
terminal) to the piece of copper metal and the black probe (negative
terminal) to the piece of zinc metal. Read and record the voltage. Dont
forget the sign! (Refers to Procedures Part II Step 7)
-0.98 V
B. Reverse the probes. Record what happens to the sign and switch
the meter off. (Refers to
Procedures Part II Step 8)
+0.98 V
C. Write the half-reaction occurring at the anode, Zn (s). (Refers to
Procedures Part II Step 9)
Zn(s) Zn2+(aq) + 2e-

D. Write the half-reaction occurring at the cathode, Cu (s). (Refers to

Procedures Part II Step 10)
Cu2+(aq) +2 e- Cu(s)
E. Calculate Eoox, the standard oxidation potential. (Refers to
Procedures Part II Step 10)

F. Calculate the equilibrium constant for the spontaneous redox

reaction. (Refers to Procedures Part II Step 11)
Cu2- Cu(s) 0.36V
Zn(s)zn2+0.76
Eo cell =0.34+0.98=1.10
logK= nEcell
0.0592
K=1.45*1037

Part III:

A. Which is the strongest oxidizing agent in the table?

Zn is the strongest oxidizing agent.

B. Which is the strongest reducing agent in the table?

Cu is the strongest reducing agent.

C. If you wanted to design a battery from relatively

common materials that produced a voltage of about
1 V which cell reaction would you choose?
Oxidation reaction must be chosen.

D. Why were the measurements on Mg (s) and Al (s) so difficult?

Because they both form oxidizing coating on their surface
and it blocks the contacts with the probs. Students need to scratch the
metals in such cases.

Analysis:
The voltage that the student recorded is the electrochemical cell voltage of a
cell which is made up of two half-cells joined electrically by wires and the salt
bridge solution KN03. The probes are touched to the electrodes in the cell
and the measured voltage will have a positive sign if the black probe is on
the anode and the red probe is on the cathode. If the sign of the measured
voltage is negative then the reverse of the last is true. The black probe is on
the cathode and the red probe is on the anode.

Conclusion:
At the completion of this lab, students will have better knowledge of
redox reaction with copper and zinc. Students will learn concepts of oxidation
reduction.
While doing experiment, students should be careful not to spill the
aqueous solutions; thus one should not forget to place the plastic wrap on
the surface before doing the experiment.
Also, while taking measurements, it will help to sometimes scratch the
metals with the probe to get the correct and accurate voltages.