uestion 2.

Calculate the time required to deposit 56 g of silver from a silver nitrate solution
using a current of 4.5 A.

Solution:

(Based on the StoPGoPS approach to problem solving.)

1. What is the question asking you to do?

Calculate time required

t = ? seconds

2. What data (information) have you been given in the question?

Extract the data from the question:

mass silver = m(Ag(s)) = 56 g
current = I = 4.5 A
F = 96,500 C mol-1 (from data sheet)

3. What is the relationship between what you know and what you need to find out?

Calculate the moles of silver deposited:

moles (Ag) = mass (Ag) ÷ molar mass (Ag)
mass Ag deposited = 56 g
molar mass = 107.9 g mol-1 (from Periodic Table)
moles (Ag) = 56 ÷ 107.9
= 0.519 mol

Calculate the moles of electrons required for the reaction:

Write the reduction reaction equation:
Ag+ + e- → Ag(s)
From the equation 1 mole of Ag is deposited by 1 mole of electrons (mole ratio)
therefore 0.519 moles of Ag(s) is deposited by 0.519 moles of electrons
n(e-) = 0.519 mol

Calculate the quantity of electricity required:

Q = n(e-) × F
n(e-) = 0.519 mol
F = 96,500 C mol-1
Q = 0.519 × 96,500 = 50,083.5 C

4. Calculate the time required:

Q=I×t
Rearrange the equation to find t:
t=Q÷I
Q = 50,083.5 C
I = 4.5 A
t = 50,083.5 ÷ 4.5
= 11,129.67 seconds
 t = 11,129.67 ÷ 60 = 185.5 minutes
t = 185.5 ÷ 60 = 3.1 hours

5. Is your answer plausible?

Use your calculated value of time in seconds, the Faraday constant F and the current
given in the question to calculate the mass of Ag you could deposit and compare that
to the value given in the question.
Q = It = 4.5 × 11,129.67 = 50083.5 C
Q = n(e-)F
so, n(e-) = Q ÷ F = 50083.5 ÷ 96,500 = 0.519 mol
n(Ag) = n(e-) = 0.519 mol
m(Ag) = n(Ag) × Mr(Ag) = 0.519 × 107.9 = 56 g
Since this value for the mass of silver is the same as that given in the question, we
are reasonably confident that the time in seconds we have calculated is correct.

6. State your solution to the problem:

t = 11,129.67 seconds (or 185.5 minutes or 3.1 hours)