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The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 25
(2020) pp 103-104
Determination of Copper and Faraday’s Constant using a simple Electrochemical Cell
Shauna L. Hiley
Department of Chemistry, Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, hiley@missouriwestern.edu
Received February 4, 2020. Accepted May 2, 2020.
Published: 6 May 2020
Abstract. This
experiment was designed for use in Quantitative Analysis to demonstrate the
applicability of the Nernst equation for quantitative determination of an
analyte, while also laying the groundwork for future studies of the essentials
of instrumentation. A simple electrochemical cell made using a commercially
available H-cell, a silver-silver chloride reference electrode, and an
inexpensive copper wire as an indicator electrode allows students to
experimentally determine both the concentration of aqueous copper(II) ion and
Faraday’s constant. A calibration curve is made by plotting the Nernst
equation, reinforcing the connection between theoretical construct and
practical application. The experimentally determined Faraday’s constants
typically show between 10 to 50% error from the literature value, offering
opportunity to explore properties of electrodes that cause deviation from the
expected value. While several examples of Nernst equations with silver analytes
are available in the literature, this experiment offers fast analysis and an
economical alternative.
Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; analytical chemistry; quantitative analysis
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: hiley@missouriwestern.edu)
Article in PDF format (110 KB) HTML format
Supporting Materials:
These items are included: instructor notes, full experiment for use in laboratory, and Excel template for calculations. (274 KB)
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