CH 302 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Copper(Ii) Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate
27 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Electrochemistry deals with chemical changes produced by electric current and with the production of electricity by chemical reactions. The reacting system is contained in a cell. Electrochemical cells are devices in which an electric current is produced as a result of a spontaneous chemical reaction, or is used to cause a non-spontaneous chemical reaction to occur. Therefore we have two types of electrochemical cells: galvanic cells and electrolytic cells. These are cells in which spontaneous oxidation-reduction reactions produce electrical energy. The two halves of the redox reactions are separated and the electron transfer occurs through an external circuit. Each half-cell consists of the oxidized and reduced forms of a species in contact with each other. A common kind of a half-cell consists of a piece of metal immersed in a solution of its ions. Electrical contact between the two electrodes is frequently made by a wire and a salt bridge.
