What is the Faraday Constant and Why is it Important?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Faraday constant, its definition, and its significance in electrochemistry. Participants explore the implications of using "mole" versus "mole of electrons" in the context of the constant and its applications in various chemical reactions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that the Faraday constant is defined as approximately 96,500 C/mol, questioning whether it should be expressed as C/mol of electrons specifically.
  • Others argue that "mole" and "mol" are interchangeable, but emphasize that the distinction between moles of different particles (like electrons and protons) is significant in terms of charge.
  • A participant challenges the notion that the Faraday constant should specify the type of particle, suggesting that it is a general constant applicable to any mole of charged particles.
  • Some express confusion about why the type of particle is omitted when discussing moles, drawing analogies to the necessity of specifying dimensions in measurements.
  • There is a claim that the same amount of charge is required to deposit or separate one mole of any substance, which is a central point in understanding the Faraday constant.
  • One participant expresses disbelief in the generality of the Faraday constant's application across different substances, prompting a reference to external literature for clarification.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the Faraday constant should explicitly reference the type of particle (e.g., electrons) or remain a general constant applicable to any mole of charged particles. Disagreement persists regarding the implications of this distinction.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the importance of specifying the type of particle when discussing charge, while others maintain that the Faraday constant serves as a universal measure without needing such specifications. The discussion reflects varying interpretations of the constant's application in different contexts.

Jhenrique
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The faraday constant is prayed:
$$\\ 1\; \text{F} = \frac{96 500\;\text{C}}{1\;\text{mol}}$$
(approximately...)


I'm wrong if I say that the faraday constant is:
$$\\ 1\; \text{F} = \frac{96 500\;\text{C}}{1\;\text{mol e}}$$
?
 
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You are right, mole and mol is the same.
 
adjacent said:
You are right, mole and mol is the same.

I'm not talking about mol and mole, I'm talking about mol and mol of electron!
 
Then that is incorrect then. It is a constant and the units are specifically defined. The fact that it is representative of the charge of a mole of electrons does not change its units to reflect that it is of electrons or the fact that it is just a number.
 
Hummm, but 1 mol e ≠ 1 mol p, so the electrical charge associated to 1 mol of eletrons is very different to charge associated to 1 mol of protons.

looks this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoichiometry#Determining_amount_of_product

Make very much sense say x mol A, y mol B and z mol C than simply say x mol, y mol or z mol.

Until today I don't understand why what is being counted is omited of front of mol...
 
The Faraday constant for a mole of electrons is the same as a mole of protons since it does not carry a sign as far as I can see. The Faraday constant could be talking about mole of sodium ions or many other things. We do not include such things in the units. It is just a bookkeeping factor you have to carry forward on your own. It is done all the time in physics. Coulomb's Law is for unit charges but we easily apply a constant prefactor to adjust it for bodies with multiple electrons worth of charge. Yet we do not show this in the units we choose for e the equation.
 
Jhenrique said:
Hummm, but 1 mol e ≠ 1 mol p, so the electrical charge associated to 1 mol of eletrons is very different to charge associated to 1 mol of protons.

looks this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoichiometry#Determining_amount_of_product

Make very much sense say x mol A, y mol B and z mol C than simply say x mol, y mol or z mol.

Until today I don't understand why what is being counted is omited of front of mol...

Saying mol A, mol B, etc.. is like saying the dimensions of an object are 3 meters high, 2 meters wide and 5 meters long. high, wide and long are added to describe what is being measured but they are not part of the unit.
 
dauto said:
Saying mol A, mol B, etc.. is like saying the dimensions of an object are 3 meters high, 2 meters wide and 5 meters long. high, wide and long are added to describe what is being measured but they are not part of the unit.

*I think* that when about particles, not should be omited, IMO. Cause you have an infinity of particles, elements and molecules all with different properties...
 
You are missing the whole point of introducing this constant.

What Faraday has observed is that the SAME amount of charge (or multiples of it) is necessary to go through the solution in order to separate or deposit one mole of ANY substance.
This "ANY" is reflected in the unit of C/mole. Any mole.

The same charge is carried by a mole of either electrons, protons, sodium ions, chlorine ions, etc.
Or twice as much charge is carried by one mole of calcium ions, copper II ions, etc.
 
  • #10
Or even a mole of moles, with each mole being stripped of exactly one electron.
 
  • #11
nasu said:
You are missing the whole point of introducing this constant.

What Faraday has observed is that the SAME amount of charge (or multiples of it) is necessary to go through the solution in order to separate or deposit one mole of ANY substance.
This "ANY" is reflected in the unit of C/mole. Any mole.

The same charge is carried by a mole of either electrons, protons, sodium ions, chlorine ions, etc.
Or twice as much charge is carried by one mole of calcium ions, copper II ions, etc.

I don't believe!
 
  • #12
OK. No problem. :smile:
 

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