Electroplating

[bec]

2. If I were to electroplate a copper object with silver, wouldn't these two spontaneously react?
If I wish to substitute the electrons with an external source, would I need to connect the copper object to the power source first THEN dip in the solution? could this be potentially dangerous? [or the rate of reaction is so slow there is no need to worry about this?]

Was this a question in an exam or something? I don't think I've come across any questions where they ask you to electroplate something that's going to spontaneously react, the way the Ag+ ions would react with Cu in this.

[Mao]

that was in the NEAP lecture notes

[bec]

Weird. If you can be bothered (totally understandable if you can't!) could you post up what they said about it in the notes?
Thanks!

[Mao]

I don't have the notes with me now [friend borrowed it], but they treated it as normal, silver anode, silver solution, copper cathode with a power supply greater than the Eo difference between the two metals.

I'd presume that the power supply forces electrons down the copper electrode and reduces silver, hence the copper metal does not oxidise. they have "substituted an electron source" [I've heard that expression before, but cannot remember who].

[bec]

So basically, you pump electrons at the copper cathode, which allows the reaction to occur without the copper being oxidised?
And when you say "substituted an electron source", do you mean that instead of the electrons coming from the oxidation of copper, they come from the external power source?
Sorry, I'm sort of just throwing back what you wrote but do you think my understanding is about right?

[Mao]

yeah