Introduction To Electrochemistry

Introduction

Electrochemistry is the study of electrochemical reactions. Chemical reactions can be:

Energy releasing (exothermic)
Energy absorbing (endothermic)

Energy be released or absorbed in can different Forms

Heat → Thermal reactions
EMR → Photochemical Runs
Electric current → Electrochemical reactions

Thus, electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry that deals with the study of those processes which are brought about by electrical energy and all those processes which proceeds with generation of electrical energy.

'OR'

Study of appearance or disappearance of electrical energy in surrounding when a change takes place in a system is called Electrochemistry.

Energy is released or absorbed in the form of electric current and this results in spontaneous and non-spontaneous reactions.

Spontaneous reactions: In which chemical reaction takes place that results in the production of electricity.
Non-spontaneous reactions: Chemical reaction takes place that takes place as a result of electricity as an input.

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Electrochemistry involves redox reactions. The reactions are written as:

OIL: oxidation is loss (of e^-)
RIG: reduction is gain (of e^-)
LEO: loss of e^-is oxidation
GER: gain of e^- is reduction

Scope of Electrochemistry:

Energy has many applications in daily life.

Battery: source of energy in which electrochemical reactions take place (Redox reactions)
Synthesis of chemicals: many chemicals like bleach, NaOH, Na and O₂are synthesized on large scale in industries by electrolytic reactions.
Electrochemical measurements can be used to monitor the progress of reactions.
Corrosion involves electrochemical process.
Electrochemical reactions are utilized in purification of metal.
Extraction of metal from their ores are the results of electrochemistry applications.

In electrochemistry, we are familiar with conductors and insulators. Conductor allows the flow of current while insulator do not allow the flow of current.

Types of conductors

Conductors are of two types.

	Metallic conductor	Electrolytic conductor
1	Passage of current is due to flow of electrons	Passage of current is due to flow of ions
2	Conduction does not involves any change in nature of conductor after flow of current	Change in nature of conductor takes place
3	It does not involves the transfer of matter	Transfer of matter takes place
4	Metallic conduction decreases with rise temperature. Temperature rise causes vibration of atoms which resist the flow of electrons.	Electrolytic conduction in increases with increase in temperature. Temperature rise, then dissociation of electrolyte and kinetic energy of ions also increases.