Worksheet 13

Experiment: CONSTRUCTING A
GALVANIC CELL USING
VOLTAS MODEL
Syllabus reference 9.2.4

INTRODUCTION
A galvanic or voltaic cell is a device that makes a redox chemical reaction occur in such a
way that it generates electricity. Motor car batteries and dry cells for torches and radios are
galvanic cells. The first battery was constructed by Alessandro Volta in 1794. Volta used a
stack of alternating metal discs separated by paper saturated with an electrolyte.

AIM

To investigate the conditions under which a galvanic (voltaic) cell is produced.

EQUIPMENT

2 x 2 coins (or 2 pieces of copper) filter paper

2 x 10c coins (or 2 pieces of lead)
voltmeter
2 connecting wires
small rubber band or plastic clothes peg
1 mol/L sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solution
distilled water
1 mol/L sucrose solution
1 mol/L potassium nitrate (KNO3) solution
scissors
fine sandpaper or steel wool

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia CONQUERINGCHEMISTRY HSC Module 1 WS 13

SAFETY: Wear safety glasses. Sulfuric acid is corrosive so avoid contact with skin. If
contact occurs wash with plenty of water.

PROCEDURE

1 Use scissors to cut filter paper into 10 circles slightly larger than the 10c coin.

2 Place a clean 2c coin against a clean 10c coin, secure with a rubber band or plastic
clothes peg and connect to the terminals of a voltmeter as shown.

If no reading occurs, reverse the polarity of the connections. Record your results in the data
table.

3 Separate the coins and place one of the circles of filter paper between them. Secure with
a rubber band or plastic clothes peg, connect to the voltmeter and note the reading in the
results table.

4 Repeat step 3 with filter paper soaked in distilled water, sucrose solution, potassium
nitrate solution and sulfuric acid solution.

Note: Coins should be cleaned, washed with distilled water and dried between each trial.

5 Choose the solution that gave the highest reading and repeat with filter paper soaked in
this solution but this time use:

a 2 x 2c coins

b 2 x 10c coins

Note any reading.

RESULTS

COINS COUPLING VOLTMETER POLARITY OF OBSERVATIONS

READING CONNECTION

Direct

Dry filter
paper

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia CONQUERINGCHEMISTRY HSC Module 1 WS 13

 Distilled
water
Sucrose
solution
2c - 10c KNO3
solution
H2SO4
solution
2c - 2c

10c - 10c

QUESTIONS

1 Which, if any, couplings gave no voltmeter reading?

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2 a Which couplings gave a voltmeter reading?

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b What was common about the solutions used for these?

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3 Briefly summarise the conditions necessary for an effective cell, mentioning

electrode and solution.

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4 The 2c coin is copper and the 10c coin is a coppernickel alloy. For the purposes
of this experiment, we can regard the 10c coin as being nickel only. How does the
polarity of your measurements relate to the positions of the two metals in the

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia CONQUERINGCHEMISTRY HSC Module 1 WS 13

 activity series of metals?

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5 Which half reaction must be occurring at the negative electrode? What type of
reaction must be occurring at the positive electrode? Suggest a half reaction that
could be occurring there. (HINT: Your solutions are saturated with air.)

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6 What voltage would you expect if two couplings were connected in series?

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(Note: This experiment may also be conducted using strips of copper and lead in a
beaker containing the different solutions.)

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia CONQUERINGCHEMISTRY HSC Module 1 WS 13