Cell Diagrams

Today we looked at an application of redox - electrochemical cells. There is a convention in Chemistry for how we draw these, and we explored this:

We draw this cell as:

Zn_(s)/Zn²⁺_(aq)//Cu²⁺_(aq)/Cu_(s)

• States of matter are critically important
• If two solutions (or a solution and a gas) are involved, we need a solid electrode. Usually carbon is used for solutions, and platinum for gases
• Two solutions (or a solution and a gas) are separated by a comma (,) in a cell diagram.
• When we have two solutions (or a gas and a solution), we write them in the order they appear in the half equation