Consider the voltaic cell illustrated in the figure, which is based on the cell reaction:
Zn(s)+Cu^2+(aq) -> Zn^2+(aq)+Cu(s)
Under standard conditions, what is the maximum electrical work, in joules, that the cell can accomplish if 52.0g of copper is plated out?
To determine the maximum electrical work that the cell can accomplish, we need to calculate the cell potential and then use the equation W = nFE, where W is the work done, n is the number of moles of electrons transferred, F is Faraday's constant, and E is the cell potential.
1. Calculate the number of moles of copper (Cu) deposited:
Given mass of copper = 52.0 g
Atomic mass of copper (Cu) = 63.55 g/mol
Number of moles of Cu deposited = mass / atomic mass = 52.0 g / 63.55 g/mol
2. Determine the number of moles of electrons transferred:
From the balanced equation, we can see that one mole of Cu is formed for every 2 moles of electrons transferred. Therefore, the number of moles of electrons transferred is half the number of moles of Cu deposited.
Number of moles of electrons transferred = 1/2 * (number of moles of Cu deposited)
3. Calculate the cell potential (E):
The standard cell potential, E°, is measured in volts (V). You can find the E° value for the given reaction from reference tables or online sources.
4. Calculate the maximum electrical work (W):
The maximum electrical work (W) is given by the formula: W = nFE, where n is the number of moles of electrons transferred, F is Faraday's constant (96,485 C/mol), and E is the cell potential.
Maximum electrical work (W) = (Number of moles of electrons transferred) * (Faraday's constant) * (Cell potential)
Plug in the calculated values and compute the maximum electrical work.
Note: Make sure to convert the units properly to maintain consistency during calculations.
Once you have the values for n, F, and E, you can calculate the maximum electrical work using the formula above.