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Electrolysis, Electrode
Potentials & Cells
Question Paper 3
Level International A Level
Subject Chemistry
Exam Board CIE
Topic Electrochemistry
Sub-Topic Electrolysis, Electrode Potentials & Cells
Paper Type Theory
Booklet Question Paper 3
Time Allowed: 68 minutes
Score: /56
Percentage: /100
Grade Boundaries:
A* A B C D E U
>85% 777.5% 70% 62.5% 57.5% 45% <45%
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1 Chlorine is manufactured by electrolysis from brine, concentrated aqueous sodium chloride.
(a) (i) Describe, with the aid of a fully labelled diagram, the industrial electrolysis of brine
in a diaphragm cell. State what each electrode is made of and show clearly the inlet
for the brine and the outlets for the products.
(ii) Write a half-equation, with state symbols, for the reaction at each electrode.
anode .......................................................................................................................
cathode ....................................................................................................................
(iii) Name the chemical that is produced in solution in this electrolytic process.
................................................. [7]
[Total: 7]
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2 (a) State the relationship between the Faraday constant, F, the charge on the electron, e,
and the Avogadro number, L.
...................................................................................................................................... [1]
(b) If the charge on the electron, the Ar and the valency of copper are known, the value
of the Avogadro number can be determined experimentally. This is done by passing
a known current for a known time through a copper electrolysis cell, and weighing the
mass of copper deposited onto the cathode.
(i) Draw a diagram of suitable apparatus for carrying out this experiment.
Label the following: power supply (with + and – terminals); anode; cathode; and
ammeter.
State the composition of the electrolyte.
The following are the results obtained from one such experiment.
current passed through the cell = 0.500 A
time current was passed through cell = 30.0 min
initial mass of copper cathode = 52.243 g
final mass of copper cathode = 52.542 g
(ii) Use these data and relevant information from the Data Booklet to calculate a value
of L to 3 significant figures.
L = ..............................................
[9]
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(c) Use relevant information from the Data Booklet to identify the substances formed at
the anode and at the cathode when aqueous solutions of the following compounds are
electrolysed.
compound product at anode product at cathode
AgF
FeSO4
MgBr2
[5]
[Total: 15]
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3 Although standard electrode potentials are measured for solutions where the concentrations
of ions are 1.0 mol dm–3, cells used as sources of battery power tend to operate with more
concentrated solutions. This question concerns the electrode reactions involved in the
hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell and the lead-acid car battery.
(a) In the hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell, H2(g) and O2(g) are fed onto two inert electrodes
dipping into NaOH(aq).
oxygen
hydrogen
NaOH(aq)
The following reactions take place.
left hand electrode (cathode): H2(g) + 2OH–(aq) 2H2O(l) + 2e–
right hand electrode (anode): O2(g) + 2H2O(l) + 4e– 4OH–(aq)
(i) Use the Data Booklet to calculate E –cell
o–
for this reaction.
..................................................................................................................................
(ii) Construct an equation for the overall reaction.
..................................................................................................................................
(iii) By using one of the phrases more positive, more negative or no change, deduce
the effect of increasing [OH–(aq)] on the electrode potential of
• the left hand electrode .......................................................................
• the right hand electrode .......................................................................
(iv) Hence deduce whether the overall Ecell is likely to increase, decrease or remain the
same, when [OH–(aq)] increases. Explain your answer.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
(v) Suggest one other reason why a high [NaOH(aq)] is used in the fuel cell.
..................................................................................................................................
[6]
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(b) In the cells of a lead-acid car battery the following reactions take place.
cathode: Pb(s) Pb2+(aq) + 2e–
anode: PbO2(s) + 4H+(aq) + 2e– Pb2+(aq) + 2H2O(l)
(i) Use the Data Booklet to calculate E –cell
o–
for this reaction.
..................................................................................................................................
(ii) Construct an equation for the overall reaction.
..................................................................................................................................
The electrolyte in a lead-acid cell is H2SO4(aq). Most of the Pb2+(aq) ions that are
produced at the electrodes are precipitated as the highly insoluble PbSO4(s).
(iii) Construct an equation for the overall cell reaction in the presence of H2SO4.
..................................................................................................................................
(iv) By considering the effect of decreasing [Pb2+(aq)] on the electrode potentials of
the cathode and the anode, deduce the effect of the presence of H2SO4(aq) in the
electrolyte on the overall Ecell.
State whether the Ecell will increase, decrease or remain the same.
Overall Ecell will ................................................ .
Explain your answer.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
[5]
[Total: 11]
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4 The design and development of batteries has been a major research area in recent years.
(a) Lead-acid batteries, used in cars, are made up of a number of rechargeable cells in
series, and were first developed in 1860. They have the disadvantage of a relatively high
mass compared to the energy stored. During discharge, the electrode reactions in the
cells of these batteries are as follows.
I Pb + SO42– J PbSO4 + 2e–
II PbO2 + 4H+ + SO42– + 2e– J PbSO4 + 2H2O
State which of these reactions occurs at the positive electrode in a lead-acid cell during
discharge, explaining your answer.
..........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [1]
(b) Use the Data Booklet and the equations I and II above to calculate the voltage produced
by a lead-acid cell under standard conditions.
[2]
(c) Nickel-metal hydride batteries were developed in the 1980s and have become
increasingly common particularly for small devices such as mobile phones and digital
cameras that need near-constant sources of electrical energy. These cells use nickel
oxohydroxide (NiO(OH)) as one electrode and a hydrogen-absorbing alloy such as LiNi5
as the other electrode.
One reaction that takes place in these batteries is
NiO(OH) + H2O + e– Ni(OH)2 + OH–
(i) State the oxidation state of nickel in NiO(OH). .....................
(ii) Suggest a likely advantage of these batteries compared with lead-acid batteries.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
[2]
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(d) Hydrogen fuel cells have been suggested as the next major advance in electrically
powered vehicles. In these fuel cells hydrogen is oxidized to produce water, using a
catalyst and inert electrodes.
(i) Suggest a material for the electrodes.
..........................................................................
(ii) Use your knowledge of hydrogen to suggest a disadvantage of these fuel cells in
powering vehicles.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
[2]
(e) Many of the world’s countries are developing ways of recycling materials which are
valuable or which require large amounts of energy to produce.
For each of the following recyclable materials, state whether recycling of this material is
important in saving energy or in saving resources. Use your knowledge of chemistry to
explain each choice.
glass ................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
steel .................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
plastics .............................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
[3]
[Total: 10]
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5 The electrolytic purification of copper can be carried out in an apparatus similar to the one
shown below.
impure copper anode pure copper cathode
anode ‘sludge’ CuSO4 (aq)
The impure copper anode contains small quantities of metallic nickel, zinc and silver, together
with inert oxides and carbon resulting from the initial reduction of the copper ore with coke.
The copper goes into solution at the anode, but the silver remains as the metal and falls to
the bottom as part of the anode ‘sludge’. The zinc also dissolves.
(a) (i) Write a half equation including state symbols for the reaction of copper at the
anode.
..................................................................................................................................
(ii) Use data from the Data Booklet to explain why silver remains as the metal.
..................................................................................................................................
(iii) Use data from the Data Booklet to predict what happens to the nickel at the anode.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
(iv) Write a half equation including state symbols for the main reaction at the cathode.
..................................................................................................................................
(v) Use data from the Data Booklet to explain why zinc is not deposited on the
cathode.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
(vi) Suggest why the blue colour of the electrolyte slowly fades as the electrolysis
proceeds.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
[7]
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(b) Most of the current passed through the cell is used to dissolve the copper at the anode
and precipitate pure copper onto the cathode. However, a small proportion of it is
‘wasted’ in dissolving the impurities at the anode which then remain in solution.
When a current of 20.0 A was passed through the cell for 10.0 hours, it was found that
225 g of pure copper was deposited on the cathode.
(i) Calculate the following, using appropriate data from the Data Booklet.
• number of moles of copper produced at the cathode
• number of moles of electrons needed to produce this copper
• number of moles of electrons that passed through the cell
(ii) Hence calculate the percentage of the current through the cell that has been
‘wasted’ in dissolving the impurities at the anode.
[4]
(c) Nickel often occurs in ores along with iron. After the initial reduction of the ore with coke,
a nickel-iron alloy is formed.
Use data from the Data Booklet to explain why nickel can be purified by a similar
electrolysis technique to that used for copper, using an impure nickel anode, a pure
nickel cathode, and nickel sulfate as the electrolyte. Explain what would happen to the
iron during this process.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [2]
[Total: 13]
