Current passes through a solution of sodium chloride. In 1.00 second,2.68 x 10^16 Na+ ions arrive at the negative electrode and 3.92 10^16 Cl- ions arrive at the positive electrode.
What is the current passing between the electrodes? mA
What is the direction of the current? away from the negative electrode or toward the negatuve electrode?
To find the current passing between the electrodes, we can use Faraday's law of electrolysis, which states that the amount of substance lost or gained at an electrode is directly proportional to the quantity of electric charge passed through the electrolyte.
1. Calculate the total number of electrons that passed through the electrolyte:
Since each sodium ion (Na+) carries one positive charge (one electron) and each chloride ion (Cl-) carries one negative charge (one electron), the total number of electrons passing through can be calculated by adding the number of Na+ ions and the number of Cl- ions.
Total number of electrons = (2.68 x 10^16) + (3.92 x 10^16) = 6.6 x 10^16 electrons
2. Calculate the total charge passing through the electrolyte:
Since one electron carries a charge of approximately 1.6 x 10^-19 coulombs, we can find the total charge passing through the electrolyte by multiplying the total number of electrons by the charge of one electron.
Total charge = (6.6 x 10^16) * (1.6 x 10^-19) = 1.056 x 10^14 coulombs
3. Calculate the current passing between the electrodes:
Current (I) is defined as the rate of flow of charge. Since we have the total charge passing through the electrolyte and the time in seconds, we can calculate the current using the formula:
I = Q / t,
where I is the current, Q is the charge passing through, and t is the time.
Given that the time is 1.00 second, we can now calculate the current:
I = (1.056 x 10^14 coulombs) / (1.00 second) = 1.056 x 10^14 amperes
4. Convert the current to milliamperes (mA):
To convert the current from amperes to milliamperes, we multiply the value by 1000 (since 1 ampere = 1000 milliamperes).
Current in mA = (1.056 x 10^14 amperes) * 1000 = 1.056 x 10^17 mA
Therefore, the current passing between the electrodes is approximately 1.056 x 10^17 mA.
Now let's determine the direction of the current:
Since positive ions (Na+) arrive at the negative electrode and negative ions (Cl-) arrive at the positive electrode, it indicates that the current is flowing from the positive electrode (where Cl- ions arrive) to the negative electrode (where Na+ ions arrive). Therefore, the direction of the current is towards the negative electrode.