Mon Prof Augmenté
Zinc and Copper Cell
Age 16 · Chemistry
A zinc rod in a colourless solution and a copper rod in a blue solution are joined by a wire and a curved tube. Electrons travel through the wire while ions move through the tube to keep the solutions balanced.
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Age 16: open this week
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In the picture
- Grey zinc rod: the metal where zinc atoms lose electrons and enter the colourless solution as zinc ions.
- Reddish copper rod: the metal where copper ions from the blue solution gain electrons and become copper atoms.
- Wire with glowing bulb: the path where electrons flow from the zinc rod to the copper rod.
- Curved tube with pale gel: the salt bridge where ions move between the two solutions.
Examples
- A battery in a torch driving a current through a bulb.
- A silver spoon tarnishing when it contacts a less noble metal in food.
Key takeaways
- Oxidation at zinc releases electrons; reduction at copper uses them.
- The salt bridge completes the circuit by allowing ions to move.
Quiz: Zinc and Copper Cell (Age 16)
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At which metal does oxidation occur, releasing electrons?
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What happens to copper ions at the copper rod?
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What is the role of the salt bridge?
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