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PRESENTED
RAHUL RANJAN
ROLL NO. A-14
SECTION-
B6005
REGD.NO11010047
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The below presented term paper was really an
interesting and learning experience for me.
But the completion of this project was quite a
difficult task too. It came to be possible because of
the help and support of my friends, teachers and
last but not the least seniors who played the major
role in guiding me throughout my work. My fiends
also gave a lot support and helped me wherever I
needed them.
I would also like to thank my Chemistry Teacher
(Nisha Mam) who showed belief on me and gave
me the very interesting topic to work upon.
I think I will be able to satisfy my mam with the
work of mine.
- RAHUL
RANJAN
INDEX:
1. INTRODUCTION
2. Electrode Potential
3. A note on hydrogen value
4. USES OF ELECTROCHEMICAL SERIES
5. Summarizing the electrochemical series
6. FIELDS USING ELECTROCHEMICAL SERIES
7. CATHODIC PROTECTION
8. CONCLUSION
9. REFERENCES
ABSTRACT:
A series in which the metals and other elements are listed in the order of
their chemical reactivity, the most active at the top and the less reactive or
more noble metals at the bottom. In a broader sense such an activity
series need not be limited to the metals but may be carried on through the
electronegative (nonmetallic) elements as well. The electrochemical series as
it applies to metals was first established by laboratory experiments in which
the purpose was to determine which metals would displace others from
solutions of their salts.
By exhaustive experiments it becomes possible to draw up a complete list in
the order of chemical activity, in which the metals at the top of the list are
those which are found to give up their electrons most readily (that is, are the
most electropositive elements). To obtain an accurate and reproducible
activity series, it is best to use the electrode potential, or oxidation-reduction
potential, which is defined as the voltage developed by a sample of pure
metal immersed in a solution of one of its salts (at unit activity and at 25C
or 77F) versus a hydrogen electrode immersed in hydrochloric or sulfuric
acid of equivalent concentration
INTRODUCTION
Electrode Potential
In an electrochemical cell, an electric potential is created between two dissimilar metals. This
potential is a measure of the energy per unit charge which is available from the
oxidation/reduction reactions to drive the reaction. It is customary to visualize the cell reaction in
terms of two half-reactions, an oxidation half-reaction and a reduction half-reaction.
Reduced species -> oxidized
species + ne-
Oxidation at
anode
Reduction at
cathode
The cell potential (often called the electromotive force or emf) has a contribution from the anode
which is a measure of its ability to lose electrons - it will be called its "oxidation potential". The
cathode has a contribution based on its ability to gain electeons, its "reduction potential". The
cell potential can then be written
Ecell = oxidation potential + reduction potential
If we could tabulate the oxidation and reduction potentials of all available electrodes, then we
could predict the cell potentials of voltaic cells created from any pair of electrodes. Actually,
tabulating one or the other is sufficient, since the oxidation potential of a half-reaction is the
negative of the reduction potential for the reverse of that reaction. Two main hurdles must be
overcome to establish such a tabulation
1. The electrode potential cannot be determined in isolation, but in a reaction
with some other electrode.
2. The electrode potential depends upon the concentrations of the substances,
the temperature, and the pressure in the case of a gas electrode.
In practice, the first of these hurdles is overcome by measuring the potentials with respect to a
standard hydrogen electrode. It is the nature of electric potential that the zero of potential is
arbitrary; it is the difference in potential which has practical consequence. Tabulating all
electrode potentials with respect to the same standard electrode provides a practical working
framework for a wide range of calculations and predictions. The standard hydrogen electrode is
assigned a potential of zero volts.
The second hurdle is overcome by choosing standard thermodynamic conditions for the
measurement of the potentials. The standard electrode potentials are customarily determined at
solute concentrations of 1 Molar, gas pressures of 1 atmosphere, and a standard temperature
which is usually 25C. The standard cell potential is denoted by a degree sign as a superscript.
ECe
ll
A note on hydrogen value:Remember that each E value shows whether the position of the equilibrium lies to the left or
right of the hydrogen equilibrium.
That difference in the positions of equilibrium causes the number of electrons which build up on
the metal electrode and the platinum of the hydrogen electrode to be different. That produces a
potential difference which is measured as a voltage.
Obviously if you connect one standard hydrogen electrode to another one, there will be no
difference whatsoever between the positions of the two equilibria. The number of electrons built
up on each electrode will be identical and so there will be a potential difference of zero between
them.
USES OF ELECTROCHEMICAL SERIES: The electrochemical series tells us which metals are more active chemically than others
and and which will replace others from a solution, such as is used in plating metals.
The biggest use is in creating batteries(Electrochemical Materials) which operate because
of the differences in chemical activity between two metals. Zinc and Copper differ
greatly in their chemical activity and when placed in a suitable environment (For
example, placed in an acid solution(lemon) and connected with a wire or meter , will
produce electricity which is a flow of electrons.
The electrochemical series tells us which metal will most readily lose electrons to another
substance, thereby producing the higher voltage or flow of electrons.
Summarizing the electrochemical series:Metals at the top of the series are good at giving away electrons. They are good reducing agents.
The reducing ability of the metal increases as you go up the series.
Metal ions at the bottom of the series are good at picking up electrons. They are good oxidising
agents. The oxidising ability of the metal ions increases as you go down the series.
Judging the oxidising or reducing ability from E values:The more negative the E value, the more the position of equilibrium lies to the left - the more
readily the metal loses electrons. The more negative the value, the stronger reducing agent the
metal is.
The more positive the E value, the more the position of equilibrium lies to the right - the less
readily the metal loses electrons, and the more readily its ions pick them up again. The more
positive the value, the stronger oxidising agent the metal ion is.
The relative ease with which the various species of metals and ions may be oxidized or reduced
is indicated by the reduction potential values. The metals with lower reduction potential are not
reduced easily but are easily oxidized to their ions losing electrons. These electrons would reduce
the other metals having higher reduction potentials. In other words, a metal having smaller
reduction potential can displace metals having larger reduction potentials from the solution of
their salt.
For example, copper lies above silver in the electrochemical series, therefore, if copper metal is
added to AgNO3 solution, silver is displaced from the solution. In general a metal occupying
higher position in the series can displace the metals lying below it from the solutions of their
salts and so are more reactive in displacing the other metals. Thus, Li is the most electropositive
element in solutions and fluorine is the most electronegative element.
From the E values of the two electrodes one can find out whether a given redox reaction is
feasible or not. A redox reaction is feasible only if the species which has higher potential is
reduced i.e., accepts the electrons and the species which has lower reduction potential is oxidized
i.e., loses electrons.
The electrochemical series gives the increasing order of electrode potentials (reduction) of
different electrodes on moving down the table. This means that the species, which accept the
electrons (reduced) must be lower in the electrochemical series as compared to the other which is
to lose electrons. (oxidized). For example, from the electrochemical series E value of Cu =
+0.34 V and that of Ag = +0.80 V since the reduction potential of Ag is more than that of Cu, this
means that silver has greater tendency to get reduced in comparison to copper. Thus, the reaction
occurs more readily than the reaction .The reduction potential of copper is less than that of Ag,
this means that copper will be oxidized or will go into solution as ions in comparison to Ag.
Thus, the reaction, occurs more readily than Therefore, silver will be reduced and copper will be
oxidized and the above reaction is not feasible. Rather the reverse reaction, can occur. Thus a
metal will displace, any other metal, which occurs below it in the electrochemical series from its
salt solution. When a metal having lower E value is placed in a solution, containing ions of
another metal having higher E value, then the metal having lower E value gets dissolved and
the ions of the metal having higher E value get precipitated.
CATHODIC PROTECTION
Metal that has been extracted from its primary ore (metal oxides or other free radicals) has a
natural tendency to revert to that state under the action of oxygen and water. This action is called
corrosion and the most common example is the rusting of steel. Corrosion is an electro-chemical
process that involves the passage of electrical currents on a micro or macro scale. The change
from the metallic to the combined form occurs by ananodic reaction:
M M+ + e(metal) (soluble salt) (electron)
The anode and cathode in a corrosion process may be on two different metals connected together
forming a bimetallic couple, or, as with rusting of steel, they may be close together on the same
metal surface.
Regular maintenance showed that the Statue of Liberty suffered from galvanic
corrosion
CONCLUSION:
The electrochemical series helps to pick out substances that are good oxidizing agents and those
which are good reducing agents. As the reduction potential increases (negative value decreases),
the tendency of the electrode to behave as reducing agent decreases. Thus, all the substances
appearing on the top of the series behave as good reducing agents. The relative ease with which
the various species of metals and ions may be oxidized or reduced is indicated by the reduction
potential values. The metals with lower reduction potential are not reduced easily but are easily
oxidized to their ions losing electrons. These electrons would reduce the other metals having
higher reduction potentials.
From the E values of the two electrodes one can find out whether a given redox reaction is
feasible or not. A redox reaction is feasible only if the species which has higher potential is
reduced i.e., accepts the electrons and the species which has lower reduction potential is oxidized
i.e., loses electrons.The electrochemical series gives the increasing order of electrode potentials
(reduction) of different electrodes on moving down the table. This means that the species, which
accept the electrons (reduced) must be lower in the electrochemical series as compared to the
other which is to lose electrons. (oxidized).
Final conclusions are :1. The metal which has low standard reduction potential is more electropositive.
2. The metals which have low S.R.P. value are highly reactive.
3. The metal which has low S.R.P. value can replace other metal from its salt.
4. Metals which have low S.R.P. value are strong reducing agents.
5. Non-metals which have higher S.R.P. value and are strong oxidising agents.
6. Metals which have low S.R.P. value, their oxides are thermally stable. Metal which have
high S.R.P. value, their oxides are thermally unstable.
7. Cation having higher S.R.P. value will discharge first at cathode and anion having low
S.R.P. value discharge first at anode.
8. Metals which have low S.R.P. value have greater rate of corrosion.
REFERENCES
http://www.2classnotes.com/digital_notes.asp?
p=Application_of_Electrochemical_Series
2.www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/redoxeqia/ec
s.html
3.en.wikipedia.org/.../Standard_electrode_pot
ential_(data_page)
4.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactivity_series
5.www.tutorvista.com/.../electrochemicalmetals.php - United States
6.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/galvanic corrison
1.
REFERENCES:REFE
RENCES: