http://www.ck12.org Chapter 23. Electrochemistry
23.1 Electrochemical Cells
Lesson Objectives
- Use the activity series to identify elements that are more easily oxidized than others, and write oxidation and
reduction half-reactions. - Describe the parts of a voltaic cell and explain how redox reactions are used to generate an electric current.
- Describe the general features of a dry cell, a lead storage battery, and a fuel cell.
Lesson Vocabulary
- anode
- battery
- cathode
- electrochemical cell
- electrochemistry
- electrode
- fuel cell
- half-cell
- salt bridge
- voltaic cell
Check Your Understanding
Recalling Prior Knowledge
- What is the activity series, and how is it used?
- What are the features of oxidation and reduction half-reactions?
Batteries are used in a great many devices in the modern world. Batteries are electrochemical cells that take
advantage of redox chemical reactions to generate an electric current. In this lesson, you will be introduced to
electrochemistry and some of its applications in several different types of electrochemical cells.
Electrochemical Reactions
Chemical reactions either absorb or release energy, and when they are set up in certain ways, that energy can
be in the form of electricity. Electrochemistryisa branch of chemistry that deals with the interconversion of
chemical energy and electrical energy. Electrochemistry has many common applications in everyday life. Batteries