Question

A piece of zinc metal is placed in a beaker containing an acidic solution, while a copper electrode is also placed in the same solution. The copper electrode is connected to the positive terminal of a voltmeter, while the zinc electrode is connected to the negative terminal of the voltmeter. If the measured potential between the two electrodes is -0.76 V, what is the corrosion potential of the zinc electrode?

Answer 1

To determine the corrosion potential of the zinc electrode, we need to consider the standard reduction potentials of both zinc and copper. The standard reduction potential for zinc  Zn  is -0.76 V, and for copper  Cu  is +0.34 V.The measured potential between the two electrodes is given as -0.76 V. This value is the difference between the reduction potentials of the two electrodes:Measured potential = E Cu  - E Zn We can rearrange this equation to find the corrosion potential of the zinc electrode:E Zn  = E Cu  - Measured potentialE Zn  = 0.34 V -  -0.76 V E Zn  = 0.34 V + 0.76 VE Zn  = 1.10 VThe corrosion potential of the zinc electrode is 1.10 V.