0 votes
44 views
in ElectroChemistry by (470 points)
Calculate the corrosion potential of iron in an acidic environment with a pH of 3.5, given that the half-reaction for the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ is Fe3+ + e- → Fe2+ and the standard reduction potential (E°) for this half-reaction is +0.771 V.

1 Answer

0 votes
by (410 points)
To calculate the corrosion potential of iron in an acidic environment, we need to use the Nernst equation, which relates the reduction potential of a half-reaction to the standard reduction potential, the concentrations of the species involved, and the temperature. The Nernst equation is given by:E = E -  RT/nF  * ln Q where:E = reduction potential under non-standard conditionsE = standard reduction potential  +0.771 V for Fe3+ to Fe2+ R = gas constant  8.314 J/molK T = temperature  in Kelvin, assuming 25C or 298 K n = number of electrons transferred in the half-reaction  1 for Fe3+ to Fe2+ F = Faraday's constant  96,485 C/mol Q = reaction quotient, which is the ratio of the concentrations of the products to the reactantsSince the pH of the environment is 3.5, we can calculate the concentration of H+ ions as follows:[H+] = 10^-pH  = 10^-3.5  = 3.16 x 10^-4  MNow, we need to find the concentrations of Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions. In a corrosion process, the ratio of Fe3+ to Fe2+ ions is assumed to be 1:1. Therefore, we can assume that the concentrations of Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions are equal to the concentration of H+ ions:[Fe3+] = [Fe2+] = 3.16 x 10^-4  MThe reaction quotient  Q  for the half-reaction Fe3+ + e-  Fe2+ is given by:Q = [Fe2+] / [Fe3+]Since the concentrations of Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions are equal, Q = 1.Now we can plug all the values into the Nernst equation:E = 0.771 V -  8.314 J/molK * 298 K  /  1 * 96,485 C/mol  * ln 1 Since ln 1  = 0, the equation simplifies to:E = 0.771 VThus, the corrosion potential of iron in an acidic environment with a pH of 3.5 is +0.771 V.

Related questions

Welcome to Sarvan Science Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...