cell diagrams

[Shimei_2F]

How do you write the redox reaction or draw cell diagrams when you're given two half-reactions?

[PranaviKolla2B]

Also, how do you know which is being reduced and which is being oxidized?

[Jessica Castellanos]

When given the half reactions, you want to balance the atoms on both sides and multiply the half reactions to have equal electrons transferred on both sides of the reaction. When this is done, the half-reactions can be added together to create the net balanced redox reaction.
The cell diagram is mainly the same for all redox reaction by drawing in the two beakers with solution inside and a metal in each connected by a wire for electron transfer and a salt bridge. To identify the cathode and anode, the cathode is the reduction reaction and the anode is the oxidation reaction. The metal in the cell diagram can be either a metal in each half reaction or an inert conductor like platinum. I hope this helps!

[005162520]

For the cell diagram, does it matter where the cathode and anode are placed ?

[Jessica Castellanos]

I don't believe it matters where the cathode and anode are placed as long as you know the direction of electron flow is (from the anode to cathode) or you're writing down the cell diagram setup (like Cu(s)|Cu2+(aq)||Fe3+(aq),Fe2+(aq)|Pt(s)) since the anode is supposed to be on the left side and the cathode is on the right side of the ||.

[Emily Burghart 1k]

Is it important to have a detailed cell diagram for your answer/work in your problems, or is supposed to function as more of a basis for your equation?