In Chemistry for Class 12, "ECE" stands for **Electrochemical Equivalent**. It is a concept used in **electrochemistry** that relates to **Faraday's Laws of Electrolysis**, specifically the second law.
### Electrochemical Equivalent (ECE)
It represents the **mass of a substance deposited or liberated at an electrode** during electrolysis when **1 coulomb of charge** is passed through the electrolyte. In other words, it quantifies how much mass of a substance is deposited on an electrode per unit charge.
### Formula:
The Electrochemical Equivalent (ECE) can be expressed using the formula:
\[
\text{ECE} (Z) = \frac{M}{nF}
\]
Where:
- \( Z \) = Electrochemical equivalent
- \( M \) = Molar mass of the substance (in grams per mole)
- \( n \) = Valency of the ion involved in the electrochemical reaction
- \( F \) = Faraday's constant (96500 C/mol)
### Key Points:
1. **Relationship with Faraday's Law:**
According to Faraday's Second Law of Electrolysis, the mass of a substance deposited (or liberated) at an electrode is directly proportional to the charge passed through the electrolyte. The electrochemical equivalent helps quantify this relationship.
2. **Units of ECE:**
The electrochemical equivalent is measured in **grams per coulomb (g/C)**, which means it tells us how many grams of the substance are deposited when one coulomb of charge flows through the electrolyte.
### Example:
If you're carrying out electrolysis of copper sulfate (CuSO₄), copper ions (Cu²⁺) will be reduced at the cathode. The molar mass of copper is approximately 63.5 g/mol, and since it involves a 2-electron process (n = 2), you can use the ECE formula to calculate how much copper will be deposited when a certain amount of charge is passed.
Understanding ECE is important in electrochemical applications such as **electroplating, electrorefining, and batteries**, as it helps determine the efficiency and material usage in such processes.