RELATING VALUES OF CELL
POTENTIAL
For General Chemistry 2/Grade 12-STEM
Quarter 4/Week 8.b-c
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FOREWORD
This self-learning kit will serve as a guide to describe the
electrochemistry involved in batteries. We encounter
electrochemical cells in our everyday lives from the
disposable AAA batteries, to our cellphones, and to the
nerve cells strewn throughout our bodies.
In this learning kit, the students will attain new ideas of
batteries.
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OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:
K – discuss primary and secondary batteries
S – describe electrochemical involved in batteries
A – appreciate batteries as used in our every life
LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
- Relate the value of the cell potential to the feasibility of using the
cell to generate an electric current (STEM_GC11ABIVf-g-179)
- Describe the electrochemistry involved in some common
batteries: a. Leclanche dry cell, b. Button batteries, c. Fuel cells,
d. Lead storage battery (STEM_GC11ABIVf-g-180)
I. WHAT HAPPENED
PRE-ACTIVITIES/PRE-TEST:
Directions.
True or False. Write True if the statement is correct and False if the
statement is incorrect.
_________1. Oxidation can occur without reduction taking place.
_________2. In most compounds, the oxidation number of hydrogen
is 1+.
_________3. The oxidation number of a free element, such as
Oxygen or Iron is zero.
_________4. A half-reaction is an equation that represents either the
oxidation or reduction in a reaction.
_________5. An oxidizing agent is a substance in a reaction that loses
electrons.
II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
DISCUSSION:
Commercial Voltaic Cells
One of the most important applications of voltaic cells is in
batteries. Batteries use different redox reactions to produce and
store electrical energy. Some batteries can be recharged while
others cannot. Batteries can be recharged use an outside power
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source to reverse electrode reactions. Those that cannot be
recharged use redox reactions that cannot be easily reversed.
A battery is an electrochemical cell or series of cells that
produces an electric current. In principle, any galvanic cell could
be used as a battery. An ideal battery would never run down,
produce an unchanging voltage, and be capable of withstanding
environmental extremes of heat and humidity. Real batteries strike
a balance between ideal characteristics and practical limitations.
For example, the mass of a car battery is about 18 kg or about 1%
of the mass of an average car or light-duty truck. This type of battery
would supply nearly unlimited energy if used in a smartphone, but
would be rejected for this application because of its mass. Thus, no
single battery is “best” and batteries are selected for a particular
application, keeping things like the mass of the battery, its cost,
reliability, and current capacity in mind. There are two basic types
of batteries: primary and secondary.
Primary Batteries Cell
Primary batteries are single-use batteries because they
cannot be recharged. An example of this is a dry cell (Leclanche
cell), button cell and fuel cells (see Figure 1).
A B C
Figure 1. An example of a primary cell, A – Leclanche cell, B – Button Cell, and C – Fuel cell. All these cells are for single used
and cannot be recharged.
Source: https://www.toppr.com/guides/physics/electronics/how-do-dry-cell-batteries-work/ and
https://frpc.net.technion.ac.il/files/2012/11/Picture5.jpg.
Dry Cell
The dry cell (Leclanche cell), the electrolyte is a sort of a semi-
liquid or pastes that contain relatively less moisture than their liquid
electrolyte batteries. It contains a positive anode of zinc
encompassed by a mixture of manganese dioxide and powdered
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carbon in a pot, which is porous. The pot and the negative zinc
terminal remained in a container holding ammonium chloride
solution. The process which generates power in a Leclanché cell
starts when zinc particles on the surface of the anode oxidize. When
zinc atoms surrender their valence electrons to end up becoming
the positively charged particles. The zinc particles move far from
the anode while leaving their electrons on its surface that makes
the anode more negatively charged than the cathode. At the
point when the cell is associated in an outer electrical circuit, the
excess electrons on the zinc anode flow through the circuit to the
cathode made up of carbon. This flow of electrons frames the
electric current. After going through the entire circuit, when
electrons enter the carbon rod, which is the cathode, they join
together with water and MNO2 (Manganese Dioxide) that further
reacts with each other to produce negatively charged hydroxide
ions and manganese oxide (Mn2O3). Whole of this process is
accompanied by secondary reaction, wherein the negative
hydroxide ions react with positive ammonium ions in the electrolyte
of ammonium chloride to produce molecules of water and
ammonia. The overall reaction occur in the cell is:
2MnO2(s) + 2NH4Cl(aq) + Zn(s) ⟶ Zn2+(aq) + Mn2O3(s) + 2NH3(aq) + H2O(l) + 2Cl−
The total cell potential, Ecell =1.5 V. decreases as the battery is
used. It is important to remember that the voltage delivered by a
battery is the same regardless of the size of a battery.
Button Cell
Although some of the small button batteries used to power
watches, calculators, and cameras are miniature alkaline cells,
most are based on a completely different chemistry. In these
"button" batteries, the anode is a zinc–mercury amalgam rather
than pure zinc, and the cathode uses either HgO or Ag2O as the
oxidant rather than MnO2. The overall reaction occur in the button
cell is:
Zn(s) + 2MnO2(s) → ZnO(s) + Mn2O3(s)
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The total cell potential, Ecell =1.5 V and decreases as the
battery is used.
Fuel Cell
Fuel cells are a bit like a cross between an internal-combustion
engine and battery power. Like an internal-combustion engine,
they make power by using fuel from a tank (though the fuel is
pressurized hydrogen gas rather than gasoline or diesel). But, unlike
an engine, a fuel cell doesn't burn the hydrogen. Instead, it's fused
chemically with oxygen from the air to make water. In the process,
which resembles what happens in a battery, electricity is released
and this is used to power an electric motor (or motors) that can
drive a vehicle. The only waste product is the water. Hydrogen gas
from the tank (shown here as big brown blobs) feeds down a pipe
to the positive terminal. Hydrogen is flammable and explosive, so
the tank has to be extremely strong. For a hydrogen fuel cell, the
overall reaction is:
O2 + 4e- + 4H+ → 2H2O
The total cell potential, Ecell =1.5 V and decreases as the
battery is used.
Secondary Batteries Cell
A secondary battery cell once used can be recharged by
passing current through it. Certain chemical changes occur when
the cell is charged with electricity and these changes are reversed
during discharge. An example of a secondary battery cell is the
lead storage battery.
The automobile battery is the best example of a lead
storage battery. In use since 1915, it has contributed to the growth
of the automobile industry. The lead storage battery consists of six
identical cells joined together in series. Each cell is composed of a
lead anode and a lead dioxide cathode. The anode and cathode
are both immersed in the electrolyte sulfuric acid, which is
commonly called battery acid. During use, the lead is oxidized and,
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in the presence of sulfate ions from the electrolyte, the oxidation of
lead produces lead (II) sulfate (PbSO4). As the lead is oxidized, the
PbO2 is reduced in the presence of the sulfuric acid and also
produces PbSO4. The reactions at the electrodes are as follows:
Anode:
Pb(s) + SO42-(aq) PbSO4(s) + 2e-
Cathode:
PbO2(s) + 4H+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + 2e- PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l)
Overall:
Pb(s) + 2SO42-(aq) + PbO2(s) + 4H+(aq) 2PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l)
In the battery, where the sheets of Pb and PbO2 are separated
from each other, each cell generates a voltage of two volts.
Hence, with six cells, the battery can generate a voltage of 12 V.
The insoluble, lead sulfate formed at the electrodes when battery is
being used adheres to the surface of the electrodes. This makes it
easy for the reactions to be reversed when an external power
source is applied to the electrodes. This recharges the battery. The
original materials are produced again during the recharging
process:
2PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l) Pb(s) + PbO2(s) + 4H+(aq) + 2SO42-(aq)
This process proceeds continuously while the engine is
running, but if the battery should be discharged (e.g., as a result of
“earthing”), a battery charger will be required.
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III. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
EVALUATION/POST TEST:
Directions.
TRUE or FALSE. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the
statement is wrong.
1. Batteries can be recharged use an outside power source to
reverse electrode reactions. Those that cannot be recharged
use redox reactions that cannot be easily reversed.
2. The automobile battery is the best example of a lead storage
battery.
3. For lead storage battery, the anode and cathode are both
immersed in the electrolyte sulfuric acid, which is commonly
called battery acid.
4. The most common fuel cell is the hydrogen – oxygen fuel cell,
where H2 is pumped into the anode and O2 is directed into the
cathode.
5. Primary batteries are single-use batteries because they can be
recharged.
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REFERENCES
Bobby. Leclanché cell–What is it?.
https://www.upsbatterycenter.com/blog/what-is-a-
leclanche-cell/
“Chemistry”. Rice University.
http://cnx.org/content/col11760/latest/.”
Padolina, M. C., Antero, E., Alumaga, M. J., Estanilla, L., Rabago, L.
Conceptual and Functional CHEMISTRY. Vibal Publishing
House, Inc.. 2005
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SYNOPSIS Answer Key
A battery is a device that
stores energy and then discharges it by
converting chemical energy into electricity.
In our devices, batteries are very useful. Some
are disposable, some are rechargeable. We
should be very careful while handling
batteries; they might be also very harmful.
Pre-activities/Pre-Test
1. False
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2. True
3. True
4. True
MARIA CRISTINA M. SALASALAN. A graduate
5. False of Bachelor
Evaluation/Post-Test
of Science in Nursing from Jose Rizal Memorial State
1. True
University in 2010. Finished Continuing Professional
2. False
Education (CPE) at Villaflores College in 2015. Finished
her Complete Academic Requirement 3. True
for Master of Arts
4. True
in Science Teaching at Negros Oriental State University.
5. False
Currently working at Department of Education, as
teacher II, connected at Crisostomo O. Retes National
High School Senior High.
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