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(Only
for experienced teachers of chemistry!
Sulfuric acid is very corrosive.
Work on a tray.
Sulfuric acid will be electrolysed
powering two lead electrodes with a photo voltaic cell.
The result will be tested
by connecting the electrodes by a LED.
1. Connect three wide 5-ml
vials with sticky tape, place them on a tray.
2. Fill one of these vials
with sulfuric acid 20%.
3. Prepare two sandpapered
sheets of lead (1 x 6 cm), put them into the acid, place a plastic strip
between them for insulation.
4. Photo 2: Connect
the electrodes with a solar cell (3V. 80 mA). 5. Illuminate it with as
much light as possible.
6. Photos 1 and 3:
Observe changes of the electrodes. 7. Fix the short feeder of a LED with
the negative electrode, the nlong one with the positive.
Observations:
1. Gas bubbles at both electrodes.
2.
A brown cover on the positive electrode (photo 3).
3. Shining of the LED (right photo).
Explanations:
1. Hydrogen gas forms
at the negative lead electrode:
4 e-
+ 4 H+(aq) --reduction-->
2
H2(g),
2. Lead of the anode
reacts leaving lead dioxide 2 H2O+Pb--oxidation-->
PbO2+4
H+(aq)+4e-
3. These reactions
resulted in the formation of a Galvanic cell powering a LED.
During
fueling the LED another indirect redox reaction
takes place:
Positive
electrode: 2
e- + Pb4+ --reduction-->Pb2+
Negative electrode:
Pb ---oxidation-->
2e-
+ Pb2+.
total reaction:
PbO2+Pb+2H2SO4--redox
reacation-->2PbSO4+ 2H2O+energy
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modification: 18.07.2003