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What is the Faraday constant and how does it relate to electrolysis?

The Faraday constant quantifies the electric charge carried by one mole of electrons.

Electrolysis is a technique that employs an electric current to drive a chemical reaction that would not occur spontaneously. The Faraday constant is essential in electrolysis as it enables us to determine the quantity of product generated during the reaction.

The value of the Faraday constant is F=96,485C/molF = 96,485 \, \text{C/mol}. This indicates that for every mole of electrons transferred through an electrolytic cell, a charge of 96,485coulombs96,485 \, \text{coulombs} is delivered. By measuring the total charge passed through the cell, we can calculate the amount of product produced.

For instance, to produce 11 mole of copper metal from copper ions via electrolysis, we need to transfer 22 moles of electrons. This requirement arises because each copper ion must gain 22 electrons to be reduced to metallic copper. Using the Faraday constant, we can compute the necessary charge:

Charge=2moles of electrons×96,485C/mol=192,970C.\text{Charge} = 2 \, \text{moles of electrons} \times 96,485 \, \text{C/mol} = 192,970 \, \text{C}.

Thus, we would need to pass approximately 192,970coulombs192,970 \, \text{coulombs} of charge through the electrolytic cell to produce 11 mole of copper metal.

In summary, the Faraday constant is a fundamental parameter in the field of electrolysis, allowing us to calculate the quantities of products formed during non-spontaneous chemical reactions.

Answered by: Dr. Ethan James
A-Level Chemistry Tutor
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