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VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Chemistry => Topic started by: kenhung123 on September 11, 2010, 07:42:04 pm

Title: Why is this required?
Post by: kenhung123 on September 11, 2010, 07:42:04 pm
Porous separator needs to be able to allow ions to flow through but prevents electrodes from touching. What's the significance of this?
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: matt123 on September 11, 2010, 07:49:58 pm
Porous separator needs to be able to allow ions to flow through but prevents electrodes from touching. What's the significance of this?

lol man u have so many chem questions
.
well the thing is
in galvanic cells.
the reactants must be apart
u see ... like i told in the earlier post ... galvanic cells .. produce ELECTRICAL ENERGY

HOWEVER
if the reactants are put together .. they will react normally . and it wont be electrical energy released . but instead .. normal CHEMICAL energy is realsesed
and we dont want that .. e.g in batteries . we want electrical energy so it can work!

therefore
we use porous seperator ( which is a simple separator material) so that they reactants and products dont come into contant

hope that helps buddy
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: kenhung123 on September 11, 2010, 08:04:20 pm
But it allows ions to flow through, whats the function of that?
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: 98.40_for_sure on September 11, 2010, 08:05:10 pm
But it allows ions to flow through, whats the function of that?

Complete the internal circuit, allows the recharging to happen continuously... it's like the function of the salt bridge in a galvanic cell. Without it, the reaction would stop
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: matt123 on September 11, 2010, 08:06:13 pm
But it allows ions to flow through, whats the function of that?

well do you remember what a salt bridge is?
think of the porous barrier of a salf bridge

i strongly advise you to read the book before you ask questions here.

however.
it allows the ions to get through .. in other words .. it completes the cell neutrality ( completes the circuit)
and when the reactions occur . ions are lost and there are uneven charges . so it allows ions to flow through so that the lost ions and be replaced .. and any un even charges can be balanced out

goodluck

EDIT :
99FORSURE
U DOGGGG lol beat me to it again
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: Martoman on September 11, 2010, 08:07:36 pm
Its moreso to stop the products from coming into contact.
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: 98.40_for_sure on September 11, 2010, 08:08:32 pm
LOL matt i just took a nap, woke up and decided to beat you again MUAHAHAHAHA
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: matt123 on September 11, 2010, 08:13:30 pm
Its moreso to stop the products from coming into contact.

read up i just explained that .. but yeah ur spot on ;)

p.s
kenhung .. please go read ur book before u post up questions
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: physics on September 11, 2010, 08:14:16 pm
i thought it was just so the anode and cathode wont touch and for the flow of certain ions and the reactants and products dont touch each other or a normal reaction occurs?
...i'm just repeating what everyone has just said havent i!
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: Martoman on September 11, 2010, 08:39:15 pm
Its moreso to stop the products from coming into contact.

read up i just explained that .. but yeah ur spot on ;)

p.s
kenhung .. please go read ur book before u post up questions

In the interest of being succinct is all.  :angel:
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: kenhung123 on September 11, 2010, 08:50:59 pm
what happens if the anode and cathode touches?
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: matt123 on September 11, 2010, 08:53:19 pm
what happens if the anode and cathode touches?

if the REACTANTS come into contact . which is presumably the same as the annode and cathode .
the reaction wont produce electrical energy .. but will produce chemical energy
lol man read ur book
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: kenhung123 on September 11, 2010, 09:02:10 pm
PbO and Pb can react?
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: matt123 on September 11, 2010, 09:09:38 pm
PbO and Pb can react?

i dont understand what ur talking bout
mate
please go read ur book
everything will seem clearer
then if ur stuck
come back and ask questions
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: physics on September 11, 2010, 09:16:03 pm
if they touch then you fail...
Title: Re: Why is this required?
Post by: 98.40_for_sure on September 11, 2010, 10:11:36 pm
When discharging, the products must remain in contact with the electrode. So when recharging, those products become the reactants and thus convert back into products, which then is used as reactants, so on and so forth. So basically the solids/ions produced cannot be allowed to move around and react with different shit because then you can't fully recharge if you don't have all of the shit you made in the first place (however in reality, it will never full recharge anyway due to the products converting to a less active form or solid products falling off the electrodes). If the porous separator was not there, the products would react with each other and energy would be lost in the form of thermal energy etc