Suppose the Cu electrode was replaced by an Al electrode. In order for this new cell to be a galvanic cell, which electrode would be the anode, Zinc or Aluminum?
I don't know the rest of the problem but a Zn/Al galvanic cell the Al is the anode and Zn is the cathode.
thank you
To determine which electrode would be the anode in the new galvanic cell when the Cu electrode is replaced by an Al electrode, we need to understand the principles of galvanic cells and their reactions.
In a galvanic cell, the anode is the electrode where oxidation occurs, and the cathode is the electrode where reduction occurs. To identify the anode, we need to compare the reduction potentials of the two metals: Zinc (Zn) and Aluminum (Al).
The Standard Reduction Potential (E°) is a measure of the tendency of a substance to be reduced. It's listed in tables where higher values indicate a stronger tendency to be reduced. Comparing the reduction potentials allows us to determine the anode.
We find that the reduction potential for the reduction of Zinc ions (Zn2+) to Zinc metal (Zn) is more negative than the reduction potential for the reduction of Aluminum ions (Al3+) to Aluminum metal (Al). This means that Zinc has a stronger tendency to be reduced than Aluminum.
Therefore, when the Cu electrode is replaced by an Al electrode, the anode would be Zinc (Zn) because it has a higher tendency to undergo oxidation.
To confirm this, you can refer to a table of reduction potentials and compare the values for Zinc and Aluminum. The more negative value is for Zinc, indicating that it will be the anode in the new galvanic cell.