........
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).