Question

You decide to construct a zinc/aluminum galvanic cell in which the electrodes are connected by a wire and the solutions are connected with a salt bridge. One electrode consists of an aluminum bar in a 1.0 M solution of aluminum nitrate. The other electrode consists of zinc bar in a 1.0 M solution of zinc nitrate.

a. Which electrode is the cathode and which is the anode?

b. What is the direction of electron flow?

c. What chemical reactions are occurring at each electrode?

d. What is the overall balanced chemical reaction?

e. After a period of time, will the bar of zinc become heavier, lighter or stay the same? What about the aluminum bar?

f. What is the standard cell potential?