Talk:Electrochemical cell

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Galvanic cell
A galvanic cell (or voltaic cell) is one of the most familiar electrochemical cells. It has a very simple design and consists of two metal electrodes submerged in seperate solutions. When looked at separately these two solutions with their respective electrodes are called half cells. The key to a Galvanic cell's electricity is in the solutions and their electrodes. Each seperate half cell contains a solution made with either a cation or an anion of the solution. When the two electrodes are connected together an oxidation reaction occurs between the anode and the solution it is in. The anode carries electrons over to the cathode where a reduction reaction is taking place in the other solution. A salt bridge links the two solutions together allowing negatively charged ions to transfer between the solutions so the charge is not lost. To better illustrate the reaction let us assign substances to the hypothetical solutions and eletrodes.

The first solution has 1M ZnSO4 dissolved into it with an electrode made of zinc (Zn) submerged into it. The second solution has 1M CuSO4 dissolved into it with a copper electrode submerged into it. A salt bridge is placed in both solutions conecting them. When the electrodes are connected an oxidation reaction takes place in the zinc electrode and it is changed into zinc ions, which go into solution. The electrons flow through the device and into the copper sulfate solution, where a reduction reaction happens. The copper sulfate is reduced to copper metal and sulfate ions, which flow across the salt bridge to the zinc side where they go into solution with the zinc ions, making more zinc sulfate.