Electrodeposition of copper: what mass of copper can be deposited in 1.00 hr by a current of 1.62 A?

Cu^(2+)(aq)+2e^(-)\rarrCu(s)Cu2+(aq)+2eCu(s)

1 Answer
Jun 27, 2018

This can be done with a unit conversion.

  • Each "Cu"^(2+)Cu2+ receives 22 electrons in this half-reaction, so n = "2 mol e"^(-)"/mol atom"n=2 mol e/mol atom.
  • "1.62 A"1.62 A == "1.62 C/s"1.62 C/s is the current.
  • F = "96485 C/mol e"^(-)F=96485 C/mol e is the Faraday constant.

So, in "1.00 hr"1.00 hr,

1.00 cancel"hr" xx (60 cancel"min")/(cancel"1 hr") xx (60 cancel"s")/cancel"1 min" = "3600 s"

has passed, and

3600 cancel"s" xx (1.62 cancel"C")/(cancel"s") xx (cancel("1 mol e"^(-)))/(96485 cancel"C") xx (cancel"1 mol Cu")/(cancel("2 mol e"^(-))) xx ("63.55 g Cu")/(cancel"1 mol Cu")

= color(blue)("1.92 g Cu"(s))

can be deposited into the cathode.