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Topic: Electrochemistry Question  (Read 1304 times)

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Offline greencatshomie

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Electrochemistry Question
« on: May 20, 2019, 11:43:56 PM »
Hello all!

Here’s the problem:

A voltaic cell is formed with one beaker containing a silver wire in a solution of AgNO3 and the other containing a nickel strip in NiCl2. Write the half reactions that occur in each cell.

I’m a little lost as to how I would go about writing these. The answer says

 Ag+ + e- > Ag
Ni > Ni2+ + 2e-

which I understand, however what determines silver as the species being reduced and nickel being oxidized? Why could they not be switched around?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks  :)

Offline Borek

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Re: Electrochemistry Question
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2019, 03:23:06 AM »
Have you heard about activity series? Or have you checked their standard reduction potentials? There are tables with these (experimentally determined) values.
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Offline greencatshomie

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Re: Electrochemistry Question
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2019, 07:56:44 PM »
Oh perfect! It makes sense now. Thank you so much

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