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Me15 Galvanic- and Electrolytical Cells from Cola metals as bead models

You have made Galvanic Cells (Me05, Me06, Me10) and Electrolytical Cells (Me13, Me14) from a closure (Al) and a sandpapered tin of a Cola can.
For better understanding you may use bead models to visualize the different steps while a current is flowing spontaneously (Galvanic Cell) or forced by the battery (Electrolyticak Cell).
What you need: Micro burner, white, red, green beads as models of H-, O atoms and Cl- ions, white micro beads as models of electrons, two small berries as models of Fe and Al atoms or to make models of a Fe2+ ion and an Al3+ion, copper wire with white micro beads as model of the metallic conductor.

Big and small photos left: Bead model of a Galvanic Cell with salt water. The micro beads collected on the wire visualize the spontaneous electron flow from left to right. (Right: In the Electrolytical Cell this flow is reversed by the battery).
The blue berry with 3 micro beads is a model of an Al atom on the surface of the Cola can closure and its bonding electrons. These electrons are released to the wire while an Al3+ion leaves the metal. Al was oxidized so the negative Al electrode is the anode.
The positive iron sheet is the cathode: It supplies a water molecule covering an cloride ion with an electron, hydroxide ions and hydrogen atoms are born. A flow of OH-(aq) from the positive to the negative electrode closes the circuit.  Al3+(aq) and  OH-(aq) ions form aluminium hydroxide).



Big photo up, two small photos left: Bead model of a Electrolytical Cell with salt water. The micro beads collected on the wire visualize the non-spontaneous electron flow from right to the left forced by the battery ("electron pump"). In this upper small photo the blue berry with its three micro beads is the model of an iron atom in the surface of the Cola can sheet. Two of these bonding electrons are taken away by the "electron pull" of the battery. A Fe2+ion leaves the surface of the metal to be dissolved in water. Fe was oxidized, so the positive electrode is the anode. Electrons are pumped to Al through the wire. At the surface of the Al closure water molecules are supplied with an electron. Hydroxide ions and hydrogen atoms are born. A flow of OH-(aq) from the negative to the positive electrode closes the circuit.  Fe2+(aq) and  OH-(aq) ions form iron(II) hydroxide).


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