What will happen if CuSO4 is taken as electrolyte.Zn & Cu are two electrodes.?? [Archive]

conFused kiDDo

07-26-2009, 01:13 AM

hana

08-28-2009, 05:10 PM

If we take copper sulfate as an electrolyte and zinc and copper as two electrodes.....and allow the current to flow....Wat will happen...

Here is till where i have understood....
When we will start current flow....then,CuSO4 will dissociate into ions of Cu2+ and SO42-....and in zinc electrode it will also dissociate to form Zn2+ and 2e-....the 2 electrons formed will jump down and reduce Cu+ to Cu metal...and so there loss of electrons in zinc and so it should become positively charged....(unlike book where it is given tht its is negatively charged,....)
So the thing which i havent understood is ----Why zinc plate gets negatively charged even when it has lost electrons to reduce copper...

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I'm not too sure but in an electrochemical cell,the anode where oxidation takesplace,in this case where Zn gets oxidised to Zn2+ , is indeed negatively charged(unlike in electrolysis where it is +vely charged) .
This is cause ,when Zn is oxidised,it is only the cation that goes into the sol', the electrons collect at the anode,then they flow through the conducting wires to the cathode , thus reducing Cu2+ to Cu (atleast this is what I think,I guess a 2nd opinion would be good).