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A). Explain the working of a saturated calomel electrode with the help of a diagram.
Accepted Answer
A saturated calomel electrode (SCE) is a reference electrode commonly used in electrochemistry. It consists of a platinum wire immersed in a saturated solution of mercury(I) chloride (calomel) in contact with elemental mercury. The electrode works on the principle of the redox reaction between mercury and mercury(I) ions:
Hg2Cl2(s) + 2e- ⇌ 2Hg(l) + 2Cl-(aq)
The overall cell reaction for the SCE is:
Pt(s) | Hg(l) | Hg2Cl2(s) | Cl-(aq) || Reference solution | Pt(s)
The potential of the SCE is determined by the concentration of chloride ions in the solution. The more concentrated the chloride ion solution, the more negative the potential of the electrode. The SCE is typically used as a reference electrode in electrochemical cells because it is stable, reproducible, and has a well-defined potential.
Diagram of a saturated calomel electrode:
[Image of a saturated calomel electrode]
The diagram shows a platinum wire (Pt) immersed in a saturated solution of mercury(I) chloride (Hg2Cl2) in contact with elemental mercury (Hg). The electrode is connected to a voltmeter (V) to measure the potential of the electrode.
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