CHEM 1A Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Standard Hydrogen Electrode, Nernst Equation, Equilibrium Constant
Document Summary
Pulling the plug on the power grid (p. 861) Voltaic (or galvanic) cells: generating electricity from spontaneous chemical reactions (p. 865) Cell potential, free energy, and the equilibrium constant (p. 877) Batteries: using chemistry to generate electricity (p. 886) Electrolysis: driving nonspontaneous chemical reactions with electricity (p. 890) Key concepts: pulling the plug on the power grid (18. 1) Oxidation reduction reactions are reactions in which electrons are transferred from one reactant to another. In the most common form of fuel cell, an electrical current is created as hydrogen is oxidized and oxygen is reduced; water is the only product: balancing oxidation reduction equations (18. 2) Oxidation is the loss of electrons and corresponds to an increase in oxidation state; reduction is the gain of electrons and corresponds to a decrease in oxidation state. We can balance redox reactions using the half-reaction method, in which the oxidation and reduction reactions are balanced separately and then added.
