Increasing Amount of Metal Produced in Electrochemical Cell

[SaintJude]

Ok, let's consider an electrochemical cell that is designed to produce pure copper from CuSO4.. Increasing the current of the will increase the rate at which a metal is produced at a cathode. Got that.

But can you increase the amount of a copper produced?

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[MedPR]

Ok, let's consider an electrochemical cell that is designed to produce pure copper from CuSO4.. Increasing the current of the will increase the rate at which a metal is produced at a cathode. Got that.

But can you increase the amount of a copper produced?

Greater volume of solution and larger (greater surface area) electrodes should produce more of everything just like any other reaction; more reactants = more products.

 

[SaintJude]

What about a change in voltage?

 

[milski]

What about a change in voltage?

How do you get the change in voltage? If the reactants are the same, would not the voltage be constant?

 

[kasho11]

Increasing voltage would necessarily increase the current, resulting in an increase in rate of production. The total amount produced depends on the starting concentrations of metal and if they are allowed to react to completion (due to solution and salt bridge permitting the balance of charge)

 

[MedPR]

What about a change in voltage?

I think you can think of a galvanic cell as a closed system. Increasing the voltage will just make the reaction go faster, not produce more. Remember, galvanic cells work because of the electric current.

Increasing the voltage is just like increasing the heat of an endothermic reaction. It's never the limiting reactant, so increasing it will never make more product.