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What is the corrosion potential of a zinc electrode immersed in a solution of 0.1 M ZnSO4, which is coupled with a copper electrode in a 0.1 M CuSO4 solution at 25°C? Given that the standard reduction potential for Zn2+ is -0.76 V and for Cu2+ is +0.34 V.

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To calculate the corrosion potential of the zinc electrode, we can use the Nernst equation. The Nernst equation relates the reduction potential of a half-cell at any point in time to the standard electrode potential, temperature, and the activities of the chemical species involved.For the zinc half-cell, the Nernst equation is:E_Zn = E_Zn -  RT/nF  * ln Q For the copper half-cell, the Nernst equation is:E_Cu = E_Cu -  RT/nF  * ln Q Where:E_Zn and E_Cu are the reduction potentials of the zinc and copper half-cells, respectivelyE_Zn = -0.76 V  standard reduction potential for Zn2+ E_Cu = +0.34 V  standard reduction potential for Cu2+ R = 8.314 J/ molK   gas constant T = 25C = 298.15 K  temperature in Kelvin n = 2  number of electrons transferred in each half-reaction F = 96485 C/mol  Faraday's constant Q is the reaction quotient, which is equal to the concentration of the reduced species divided by the concentration of the oxidized speciesSince the concentrations of Zn2+ and Cu2+ are both 0.1 M, the reaction quotient Q for both half-cells is equal to 1. Therefore, ln Q  = ln 1  = 0, and the Nernst equation simplifies to:E_Zn = E_ZnE_Cu = E_CuNow, we can calculate the overall cell potential  corrosion potential , which is the difference between the reduction potentials of the two half-cells:E_cell = E_Cu - E_Zn =  +0.34 V  -  -0.76 V  = +1.10 VThe corrosion potential of the zinc electrode in this system is +1.10 V.

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