Voltaic cells — KCSE Chemistry

KCSE Chemistry · 61 practice questions · 4 syllabus objectives

18 easy22 medium21 hard

What You'll Learn

Key learning outcomes for this topic, aligned to the KNEC KCSE syllabus.

Describe the construction and operation of the Daniel cell and explain the role of each component

Use the electrochemical series to predict the direction of electron flow and calculate EMF of a voltaic cell

Distinguish between primary cells (non-rechargeable) and secondary cells (rechargeable) with examples

Voltaic cells

Sample Questions

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1
easySHORT ANSWER2 marks

Give one example of a primary cell and one example of a secondary cell. (2 marks)

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Part (a) — 2 marks
Primary cell example: zinc-carbon battery (1 mk)
Secondary cell example: lithium-ion battery (1 mk)
2
easySHORT ANSWER2 marks

Name two characteristics that differentiate a primary cell from a secondary cell. (2 marks)

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Part (a) — 2 marks
A primary cell cannot be recharged once depleted (1 mk)
A secondary cell can be recharged and used multiple times (1 mk)
3
easySHORT ANSWER4 marks

Using standard electrode potentials provided, calculate the EMF of a voltaic cell made from copper/copper(II) and iron/iron(II) half-cells. (4 marks)

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Part (a) — 1 mark
The standard electrode potential for copper/copper(II) is +0.34 V (1 mk)
Part (b) — 1 mark
The standard electrode potential for iron/iron(II) is -0.44 V (1 mk)
Part (c) — 2 marks
EMF = E(cathode) - E(anode) (1 mk)
EMF = 0.34 V - (-0.44 V) = 0.78 V (1 mk)
4

State the direction of electron flow in a voltaic cell constructed from a silver/silver ion half-cell and a zinc/zinc ion half-cell. (2 marks)

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