How Does Ion Charge Affect Mass Deposition in Electrolysis?

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on the relationship between ion charge and mass deposition during electrolysis, specifically using Silver Nitrate (AgNO3), Copper Chloride (CuCl), and Iron Chloride (FeCl) as electrolytes. The experiment demonstrated that higher charged ions (+1, +2, +3) resulted in greater mass deposition on the cathode, confirming the direct proportionality between current (I) and moles deposited. The participant, Adam, observed that the mass change correlated with the charge of the ions, leading to inquiries about the underlying reasons for this trend.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrolysis principles
  • Familiarity with the formula I=nAve
  • Knowledge of ionic charges and their effects on current
  • Basic concepts of atomic mass and moles
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the characteristics of mono-, di-, and tri-valent cations
  • Learn about the effects of electrode materials on electrolysis results
  • Investigate the relationship between current and mass deposition in electrolysis
  • Explore the impact of varying voltage and time on electrolysis outcomes
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Chemistry students, educators, and researchers interested in electrolysis, ionic behavior, and mass transfer processes in electrochemical systems.

  • #61
More moles of iron than silver.
More mass deposited using iron than silver.
Higher current using iron than silver.
 
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  • #62
Wrong.
Wrong.
Right.

Charge is defined as the sum of the products of the numbers of charge carrying species with the numerical values of the charges on the species.

Try again.
 
  • #63
sorry this is over my head, its just guesses now. looking at my results, iron deposited more moles than silver and copper.
 
  • #64
We're working on your prediction which you are then going to compare to the results.

If cations are the only charge carrying species in solution, silver at +1, or iron at +3, at the same concentration, you predict three times the current. If you weigh the cathodes, divide by atomic weight to get number of moles, and compare the number of moles, is the number of moles of iron less than, equal to, or greater than the number of moles of silver?
 
  • #65
Silver - 0.033g / 108 = 0.000306moles

Iron - 0.110g / 56 = 0.001964moles

The number of moles of iron(1964) is greater than the number of moles for silver(306).
 
  • #66
I'm not even going to ask where those numbers came from.

One silver ion is reduced in time t; one ferric ion is reduced in the same time t. For silver, the current is one unit charge over t; for iron the current is 3 unit charges in the same time t, or three times greater current. The number of moles of silver is one over Avogadro's number; the number of moles of iron is ONE over Avogadro's number.
 
  • #67
those were the exact numbers out of my coursework table, look at the moles deposited table.
27x43dy.jpg
 
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