Hydrogen ions moving through a battery

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the time required for 1 mole of hydrogen ions to move through a battery with a current of 1A. Using the equation I = Nq, the user calculated that 1 mole of protons, equivalent to 6.022 x 1023 protons, would take approximately 16,402 seconds to pass through at a current of 6A. The user expressed concern that this duration seemed excessively long, prompting clarification on the concept of a mole. Participants confirmed the user's understanding of a mole and emphasized the importance of sanity checks in calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electric current and charge (I = Nq)
  • Knowledge of the concept of a mole in chemistry
  • Familiarity with basic battery operation principles
  • Ability to perform unit conversions and proportional reasoning
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between current, charge, and time in electrochemistry
  • Learn about Faraday's laws of electrolysis and their applications
  • Explore the concept of moles in greater detail, including Avogadro's number
  • Investigate the behavior of ions in different types of batteries
USEFUL FOR

Students studying electrochemistry, educators teaching battery technology, and anyone interested in the principles of ion movement in electrical systems.

spaceid
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Homework Statement


In one type of battery, the current is carried by hydrogen ions moving through the liquid. If 1A is flowing through the battery, how long will it take for 1 mole of hydrogen ions to move through the battery?

1 mole of protons = 6.0 x 1023 protons
qp = 1.6022 x 10-19 C

Homework Equations


I = Nq

The Attempt at a Solution


First I want to find the number of protons passing through a certain plane of a wire, for example, in a current of 6A. Which I calculated to be 3.74 x 1019 protons using the above equation. Then I did a proportionality. If 3.74 x 1019 protons pass through that plane with a current of 6A in one second, then how long would it take 6.0 x 1023 protons at the same current? I calculated that it would take 16,402 seconds, but this feels like too long of a time. But this may be because I do not have a good understanding of what a mole exactly means. Can someone help?
 
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spaceid said:
in a current of 6A. Which I calculated to be 3.74 x 1019 protons using the above equation. Then I did a proportionality. If 3.74 x 1019 protons pass through that plane with a current of 6A in one second, then how long would it take 6.0 x 1023 protons at the same current? I calculated that it would take 16,402 seconds, but this feels like too long of a time.

What makes you think that 16,000 seconds (over 4 hours) is too long? Normally when you do a sanity check, you have a range of acceptable values in mind to compare your answer to. What value were you expecting that is making you think you did something wrong?

spaceid said:
But this may be because I do not have a good understanding of what a mole exactly means

A mole of protons is approximately 6.022*10^23 protons, which is what you have above, so your understanding of what a mole is seems fine.
 

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