Consider the galvanic cell shown below.
-What is the quantitative change in the cell voltage on increasing the ion concentration in the anode compartment by a factor of 10?

Question

Consider the galvanic cell shown below. 
-What is the quantitative change in the cell voltage on increasing the ion concentration in the anode compartment by a factor of 10?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Nernst equation, an increase in ion concentration in the anode compartment would lead to a decrease in cell voltage. The change in voltage is given by ΔE = -0.0592/n log ([ion] new/[ion] old), where n is the number of electrons involved in the cell reaction. Since the ion concentration is increased by a factor of 10, we have [ion] new = 10[ion] old. Substituting this into the Nernst equation gives ΔE = -0.0592/n log(10) = -0.0592/n * 1.0 = -0.0592/n V. Since we do not know the value of n, we cannot determine the exact voltage change, but we can conclude that it will be negative. The closest answer choice is C, which corresponds to a decrease of 0.02 V.

Consider the Galvanic Cell Shown Below