Question

What do you mean by electrochemical equivalent of Faraday's law of electrolysis?

Answer 1

The electrochemical equivalent in the context of Faraday's law of electrolysis is a measure that tells us how much of a substance is deposited or dissolved at an electrode when a certain amount of electric charge is passed through the electrolyte during electrolysis.

To break it down:

1. Faraday’s law of electrolysis states that the amount of substance deposited or dissolved at an electrode during electrolysis is directly proportional to the electric charge passed through the electrolyte. The law is often written as:
   

   \[
   m = \frac{M \cdot Q}{F \cdot n}
   \]

   Where:
   - m is the mass of the substance deposited or dissolved,
   - M is the molar mass of the substance,
   - Q is the total electric charge passed (in coulombs),
   - F is Faraday's constant (about 96,485 C/mol),
   - n is the number of electrons involved in the reaction.

1. The electrochemical equivalent (denoted as z) refers to the mass of a substance deposited or dissolved when 1 coulomb of charge is passed through the electrolyte. It is essentially a constant that combines all the factors from the above formula.
   

   The electrochemical equivalent can be expressed as:

   \[
   z = \frac{M}{F \cdot n}
   \]

   So, when 1 coulomb of charge is passed, z gives the mass of the substance that will be deposited or dissolved.

In Simple Terms:

1. Electrochemical equivalent tells us how much of a substance is involved in the electrolysis process for each unit of charge.
   

1. It depends on the type of substance and how many electrons are involved in its reaction at the electrode.
   

For example, in the case of water electrolysis, the electrochemical equivalent would tell you how much hydrogen or oxygen is produced per coulomb of electric charge passed.

Practical Use:

If you know the electrochemical equivalent of a substance, you can predict how much of that substance will be deposited or dissolved in electrolysis by just measuring the amount of charge passed.

Does that clear it up? Let me know if you need further details!