consider an electrochemical cell where the following reaction takes place: 2 Ag⁺(aq) + Cu(s) → 2 Ag(s) + Cu²⁺(aq) Which of the following is the correct cell notation for this cell?
Ag⁺|Ag||Cu|Cu²⁺
Cu|Cu²⁺||Ag|Ag⁺
Cu|Cu²⁺||Ag⁺|Ag
Ag|Ag⁺||Cu|Cu²⁺
To determine the correct cell notation for the given electrochemical cell, we need to follow the convention of indicating the anode, cathode, and components of the cell.
In this reaction, copper (Cu) is oxidized, losing electrons to form copper ions (Cu²⁺), which means it acts as the anode. Silver ions (Ag⁺) gain electrons to form silver (Ag), so silver acts as the cathode.
To write the cell notation, we use the following format:
anode | anode solution || cathode solution | cathode
So, looking at the given options,
(A) Ag⁺|Ag||Cu|Cu²⁺
(B) Cu|Cu²⁺||Ag|Ag⁺
(C) Cu|Cu²⁺||Ag⁺|Ag
(D) Ag|Ag⁺||Cu|Cu²⁺
We can eliminate options (B) and (C) because they have Cu²⁺ on the left side, which does not correspond to the anode side where Cu is present.
Now, let's examine options (A) and (D):
(A) Ag⁺|Ag||Cu|Cu²⁺
(D) Ag|Ag⁺||Cu|Cu²⁺
Both option (A) and option (D) have Ag⁺ on the left side, which corresponds to the anode where Ag is present. However, option (A) has the anode and cathode parts properly separated by a double vertical line (||), indicating the phase boundary. Therefore, (A) Ag⁺|Ag||Cu|Cu²⁺ is the correct cell notation for this electrochemical cell.
Please note that the correct cell notation can also be written eliminating aqueous solutions. So, the alternative notation for this reaction would be:
(A) Ag|Ag⁺||Cu|Cu²⁺