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Edexcel A Level Chemistry Question

Reply 1

Original post
by kmat1893

"a strip of chemistry metal"?

Did you mean chromium metal?

Have you actually set up an electrochemical cell. It literally is as simple as a strip of metal (hooked up to a wire via crocodile clip) dunked into a solution of an ion of that metal.

Reply 2

Original post
by Pigster
"a strip of chemistry metal"?
Did you mean chromium metal?
Have you actually set up an electrochemical cell. It literally is as simple as a strip of metal (hooked up to a wire via crocodile clip) dunked into a solution of an ion of that metal.

Yh i have, I do not understand the question though

Reply 3

Original post
by kmat1893

It’s not so much an electrochemistry problem - more a stoichiometry problem.

They’ve told you that you have one electrode made of chromium suspended in a solution of chromium(III) sulphate (e.g you have the equilibrium Cr^3+(aq) + 3e^- <=> Cr(s) to consider) and the other is made of metal X suspended in a solution of XSO4 (e.g you have the equilibrium X^2+(aq) + 2e^- <=> X(s) to consider).

Because the chromium electrode increases in mass, the first equilibrium proceeds in the direction stated. The second equilibrium is reversed (e.g X(s) <=> X^2+(aq) + 2e^-). From this, you can construct an equation:

2Cr^3+(aq) + 3X(s) —> 2Cr(s) + 3X^2+(aq)

(Or alternatively Cr^3+(aq) + 1.5X(s) —> Cr(s) + 1.5X^2+(aq))

How might you use this equation in conjunction with the changes in masses at each electrode?
(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 4

Original post
by TypicalNerd
It’s not so much an electrochemistry problem - more a stoichiometry problem.
They’ve told you that you have one electrode made of chromium suspended in a solution of chromium(III) sulphate (e.g you have the equilibrium Cr^3+(aq) + 3e^- <=> Cr(s) to consider) and the other is made of metal X suspended in a solution of XSO4 (e.g you have the equilibrium X^2+(aq) + 2e^- <=> X(s) to consider).
Because the chromium electrode increases in mass, the first equilibrium proceeds in the direction stated. The second equilibrium is reversed (e.g X(s) <=> X^2+(aq) + 2e^-). From this, you can construct an equation:
2Cr^3+(aq) + 3X(s) —> 2Cr(s) + 3X^2+(aq)
(Or alternatively Cr^3+(aq) + 1.5X(s) —> Cr(s) + 1.5X^2+(aq))
How might you use this equation in conjunction with the changes in masses at each electrode?

Ok, so would you basically create two half equations to make a full equation then ?

Reply 5

Original post
by kmat1893
Ok, so would you basically create two half equations to make a full equation then ?

That’s the starting point, which I’ve done for you.

The loss of mass of the chromium electrode can be used to find the moles of chromium that react as per that equation - so how might you proceed with that in mind?

Reply 6

Original post
by TypicalNerd
That’s the starting point, which I’ve done for you.
The loss of mass of the chromium electrode can be used to find the moles of chromium that react as per that equation - so how might you proceed with that in mind?

Ok, thanks are you taking edexcel a level chemistry ?

Reply 7

Original post
by kmat1893
Ok, thanks are you taking edexcel a level chemistry ?

No - I’m currently a second year undergraduate chemist, but I did Edexcel A level chemistry in 2022 and got an A*.

Reply 8

Original post
by TypicalNerd
No - I’m currently a second year undergraduate chemist, but I did Edexcel A level chemistry in 2022 and got an A*.

What tips would you give me for a level chemistry as I am doing it very soon ?

Reply 9

Original post
by kmat1893
What tips would you give me for a level chemistry as I am doing it very soon ?

I helped write a load of suggestions a while back now: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7393061

In terms of for your exams, I’d say the best advice I can give you is to highlight important information they give you in the question so as to not lose track of it. Additionally, many questions are structured so that your answers to earlier parts are either necessary later or serve as hints for later parts. If these happen to be calculations and you are unable to solve an earlier part, make up an answer for said earlier part and use it in your calculations.

For paper 3, you can find all the practical sheets hidden under a dropdown titled “worksheet” on the Edexcel website - this page, specifically: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/chemistry-2015.coursematerials.html#%2FfilterQuery=category:Pearson-UK:Category%2FTeaching-and-learning-materials

Reply 10

Original post
by TypicalNerd
I helped write a load of suggestions a while back now: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7393061
In terms of for your exams, I’d say the best advice I can give you is to highlight important information they give you in the question so as to not lose track of it. Additionally, many questions are structured so that your answers to earlier parts are either necessary later or serve as hints for later parts. If these happen to be calculations and you are unable to solve an earlier part, make up an answer for said earlier part and use it in your calculations.
For paper 3, you can find all the practical sheets hidden under a dropdown titled “worksheet” on the Edexcel website - this page, specifically: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/chemistry-2015.coursematerials.html#%2FfilterQuery=category:Pearson-UK:Category%2FTeaching-and-learning-materials

Would you say to memorise the mark schemes as they are quite repetitive

Reply 11

Original post
by kmat1893
Would you say to memorise the mark schemes as they are quite repetitive
If you can, yes. I’d say to give yourself the best chance of doing this successfully, you need to annotate any marked past papers you have done with all the relevant corrections and review them periodically.

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