13.1: Overview and Objectives

"The metals alone, are the true motors of this electricity... that electric fluid is set in motion by the simple contact of different conducting substances." (Alessandro Volta)

Volta, from whom we get the name for the unit of electrical potential known as the volt, was one of the first scientists to show that it was possible to take advantage of the movement of electrons associated with some types of chemical reactions, called oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, to produce electrical current. In this chapter, we'll look more closely at redox reactions, discover what sorts of chemicals make good reducing and oxidizing agents, and examine the specific application of redox reactions to electrochemical cells, like batteries.

 

Chapter Objectives

• Balance redox reactions in acidic and basic solutions, identifying the oxidizing agent and reducing agent.
• Rank chemicals by their oxidizing or reducing ability.
• Write the balanced chemical equation or shorthand notation for a galvanic cell and calculate its E°.
• Use appropriate mathematical expressions to convert between ΔG, K, Q, and E_cell.

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