What assures that there is no charge build up in a voltaic cell as oxidation and reduction occur?
one of the half cells
the electrolyte solutions***
the moving electrons
the salt bridge
im pretty sure the answer is salt bridge
im gonna have to agree with anonymous
I would go with salt bridge, also.
That is correct (100%)... The anion from the salt bridge migrates to the anodic cell to off set the build up of cations from oxidation and the cation from the salt bridge migrates to the cathodic cell to offset the loss of cations being reduced to basic standard state.
Just to add an FYI, this is why when designing a battery, the cation concentration in the anodic cell is minimized and the cation concentration in the cathodic cell is maximized. As the Galvanic process discharges the cation concentration in the anodic cell increases b/c of oxidation requiring migration of anion from the salt bridge and the concentration of cation in the cathodic cell decreases requiring migration of the salt bridge cation to the cathode cell. The anodic electrode continues to undergo oxidation until completely dissolved, or the total concentration of cation in the cathodic cell is completely reduced giving a really dead battery.
The correct answer is the salt bridge.
The purpose of a salt bridge in a voltaic cell is to prevent charge build-up as oxidation and reduction occur. In a voltaic cell, oxidation takes place at one electrode (anode) where electrons are released, while reduction takes place at the other electrode (cathode) where electrons are gained. This flow of electrons creates a flow of charge.
If there was no way for charge to move between the half cells, a charge imbalance would occur, and the reaction would quickly come to a halt. This is where the salt bridge comes into play. The salt bridge is typically filled with an electrolyte solution, such as a salt solution. The function of the electrolyte solution is to allow the movement of ions, which are electrically charged particles.
By connecting the two half cells with a salt bridge, the ions can flow from one half cell to the other, balancing the charges in both cells. As positive ions move from the salt bridge into the half cell where reduction is occurring, they balance out the negatively charged electrons gained during reduction. At the same time, negative ions move from the salt bridge into the half cell where oxidation is occurring, balancing out the positive charge of the electrons lost during oxidation.
In summary, while each component listed (one of the half cells, the electrolyte solutions, and the moving electrons) plays a role in the functioning of a voltaic cell, it is the salt bridge that ensures there is no charge build-up in the cell as oxidation and reduction occur.