A car runs on hydrogen gas using a unique reversible fuel cell. You can use the

Question

A car runs on hydrogen gas using a unique reversible fuel cell. You can use the fuel cell to separate water into
hydrogen and oxygen. The special Proton Exchange Membrane (strong acidic) in the fuel cell allows it to both split water into hydrogen and oxygen and combine those two gases into water, making it a reversible fuel cell. For the water splitting process, H2 is produced at Pt1 and O2 is produced at Pt2.
(a) What are the two half cell reactions and their electrode potentials ?

(b) Which electrode is the cathode and explain why?

(c) What is the net reaction in this cell? Indicate the direction of the reaction.

Explanation / Answer

(a) What are the two half cell reactions and their electrode potentials ?

At anode: 4OH–(aq) O2(g) + 2H2O(l) + 4e–    E0Cell = -0.401 V

(with reference to SHE - Standard Hydrogen Electrode reduction potential)

At cathode: 2H+(aq) + 2e– H2(g)   E0Cell = 0.000 V

(b) Which electrode is the cathode and explain why?

Pt1 is cathode because at cathode reduction takes place. 2 H+ ions accepts 2 elelctrons and got reduced to H2 gas.

(c) What is the net reaction in this cell? Indicate the direction of the reaction.

Net reaction: 2H2O (l) 2H2(g) + O2(g)

direction of the reaction is the electron flow from anode Pt2 cathode Pt1

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