SKILL FOCUS

Investigation 10-B Predicting

Performing and recording
Analyzing and interpreting
Communicating results

Electroplating
You have learned that electroplating is a process in
which a metal is deposited, or plated, onto the ● Nitric acid is corrosive. Also, note that the
cathode of an electrolytic cell. In this investigation, CuSO4 solution contains sulfuric acid and
you will build an electrolytic cell and electrolyze a hydrochloric acid. Wash any spills on your skin
copper(II) sulfate solution to plate copper onto the with plenty of cold water. Inform your teacher
cathode. You will use Faraday’s law to relate the immediately.
mass of metal deposited to the quantity of ● Avoid touching the parts the electrodes that
electricity used. have been washed with nitric acid.
● Acetone is flammable. Use acetone in the fume
Question hood.
Does the measured mass of copper plated onto the ● Make sure your hands and your and lab bench
cathode of an electrolytic cell agree with the mass are dry before handling any electrical
calculated from Faraday’s law? equipment.
Predictions Procedure
Predict whether the measured mass of copper 1. Clean off any tarnish on the copper strips by
plated onto the cathode of an electrolytic cell will sanding it gently. Dip the bottom of the copper
be greater than, equal to, or less than the mass strips in nitric acid for a few seconds, and then
calculated used Faraday’s law. rinse off the strip carefully with deionized
water. Avoid touching the section that has been
Materials cleaned by the acid. Weigh the copper strips.
100 mL acidified 0.50 mol/L CuSO4 solution (with
5mL of 6 mol/L H2SO4 and 3 mL of 0.1 mol/L 2. Place the copper strip in the beaker, with the
HCl added) in a 100mL beaker clean part of the strip at the bottom. Bend the
150 mL 1.0 mol/L HNO3 (1 per class) top of the strip over the rim of the beaker so
drying oven, or acetone in a wash bottle that the copper strip is secured in a vertical
2 pieces of 3 cm × 12 cm × 1 mm Cu strips position. This copper strip will serve as the
100 mL beaker anode.
adjustable D.C. power supply with ammeter
deionized water in a wash bottle 3. Wrap the other copper strip around a pencil to
fine sandpaper make a closely spaced coil. Leave 4 cm of the
2 electrical leads with alligator clips strip unwrapped. Use the 4 cm of uncoiled strip
electronic balance to secure the coil on the opposite side of the
beaker from the anode, as shown in the
diagram. This copper strip will serve as the
cathode.
Safety Precautions
Copyright © 2002 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Permission to edit and reproduce this page is granted to the purchaser for use in her/his classroom only.
McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited shall not be held responsible for content if any revisions, additions, or deletions are made to this page.
 2. Use the measured current and the time for
which the current passed to calculate the
quantity of electricity used.
3. Use your answers to questions 1 and 2 to
calculate the mass of copper plated onto the
cathode.
4. Compare the mass lost at the anode with the
mass gained at the cathode. Explain the
similarities and/or differences.
5. Calculated the percent error.

Conclusion
How did the mass of copper electroplated onto the
cathode of the electrolytic cell compare with the
mass calculated using Faraday’s law?. Compare
4. Pour about 100 mL of acidified CuSO4 solution your answer with your prediction from the
into the beaker. Attach the lead from the beginning of the [Link] the percent
negative terminal of the power supply to the error. Give possible reasons for any difference
cathode. Attach the positive terminal to the between the two values.
anode.
Applications
5. Turn on the power supply and set the current to 6. Suppose you repeated this investigation using
0.50 A. Maintain this current for 20 min by iron electrodes, and 0.5 mol/L iron(II) sulfate
adjusting the variable current knob as needed. solution as the electrolyte. If you used the same
current for the same time, would you expect the
6. After 20 min, turn off the power. Remove the increase in mass of the cathode to be greater
cathode and rinse it very gently with deionized than, less than, or equal to the increase in mass
water. Place the cathode in the drying oven for that you measured? Explain your answer.
20 min. Alternatively, rinse the cathode gently
with acetone, and let the acetone evaporate 7. Suppose you repeated this investigation with
from the fume hood for 5 min. the copper(II) sulfate solution, but you passed
the current for only half as long as before. How
7. Measure and record the new mass of the anode would the masses of copper plated onto the
and the cathode. cathode compare in the two investigations?
Explain your answer.
8. Dispose of all the materials as instructed by
your teacher. 8. Could you build a galvanic cell without
changing the electrodes or the electrolyte
solution you used in this investigation?
Explain your answer.

Analysis
1. Write a balanced equation for the half-reaction
that occurs at the cathode.
Copyright © 2002 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Permission to edit and reproduce this page is granted to the purchaser for use in her/his classroom only.
McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited shall not be held responsible for content if any revisions, additions, or deletions are made to this page.