chem1 virtual textbook

a reference text
for General Chemistry

Stephen Lower

Simon Fraser University

The eight pages in this section of the Chem1 Virtual Textbook cover elementary electrochemistry in somewhat greater depth than is found in standard textbooks, but at a level still suitable for first-year college and advanced high school courses. It should also be helpful as review material for students in more advanced courses in analytical and physical chemistry. This material is also available as a pdf document suitable for viewing or printing; click here to download (40 pages).

> To access the desired page, click one of the six
> lesson titles immediately below; you can also go directly to any sub-section within a lesson by clicking on a smaller heading.

> This site was link-checked and revised in March 2007

1- Introduction

- Chemistry and electricity
- Electroneutrality
- Potential differences at interfaces
- References
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

2- Galvanic cells and electrodes

- Transport of charge within the cell
- Cell description conventions
- Potential differences at interfaces
- Electrodes and electrode reactions
- Reference electrodes
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

3 Cell potentials and thermodynamics

- Activity series of the metals (electromotive series)
- Standard half-cell potentials
- Cell potentials and the free energy
- The fall of the electron
- Oxidation states of the elements: Latimer Diagrams
- Thermodynamics of galvanic cells
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

4 The Nernst equation

- Cell potentials and concentrations
- Significance of the Nernst equation
- Cell potentials and pH
- Concentration cells
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

5 Applications of the Nernst equation

- Oxygen and the aquatic environment
- Electron activity and pE
- Solubility products and potentiometric titrations
- pH measurement
- Membrane potentials and nerve conduction
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

6 Batteries and fuel cells

- About batteries
- Primary and secondary batteries
- Timeline of battery development
- Fuel Cells
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

7 Electrochemical corrosion

- Corrosion cells and reactions
- Control of corrosion
- Corrosion Gallery
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do

8 Electrolytic cells and electrolysis

- What is electrolysis?
- Electrolysis in aqueous solutions
- Electrolysis of water
- Faraday's laws of electrolysis
- Industrial electrolytic processes
- Concept map
- What you should be able to do