Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A zinc cell runs at for with a voltage of across it. Only per cent of the charge deposits zinc, with . The rest makes hydrogen. Find (a) the mass of zinc, in kilograms. Find (b) the energy used, in kilowatt-hours, and the energy for each kilogram of zinc. Find (c) the volume of hydrogen at and , in cubic metres. Take and .
At the cathode the ion with the highest deposition potential goes first, and at the anode the lowest goes first. . Hydrogen evolves at . Current efficiency is the mass deposited divided by the mass expected from , times 100. Energy is , and .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Plan. Find the charge. Then split it between zinc and hydrogen.
Step 1. The charge. .
Step 2. The zinc. If all the charge made zinc: . At per cent: .
Step 3. The energy. , which is . For each kilogram, .
Step 4. The hydrogen. per cent of the charge: . At that is .
Answer: of zinc, , and of hydrogen.
Check. A cell at per cent efficiency would use for each kilogram. Losing per cent of the current raises it to .
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