Cathode and Anode

[MaryBanh_2K]

Why can we assume the cell can do work when the E value at the Cathode is bigger than the E value at the Anode?

[Kevin Antony 2B]

A cell can do work whenever Ecell > 0. This will always be the case if the Cathode is greater than the Anode.

[Pablo 1K]

Equilibrium not reached so it will continue if cathode Ecell greater than 0.

[Emma Popescu 1L]

The work done by the cell is is equal to the change in gibbs free energy. Based on the equation deltaG=-nFE, E needs to be positive so that energy is released (deltaG is negative) and thus the cell does work.

[Osvaldo SanchezF -1H]

Well for an E cell to do work its value has to positive. To find the value for cell potential it would be Ecathode - Eanode and so if cathode is larger then it will yield a positive value.

[Rebekah Alfred 1J]

My TA mentioned that E cell can be negative sometimes and I believe there is a question with a negative E cell in section 6N.

[Jasmine Vallarta 2L]

E(cell) = E(cathode) - E(anode); since we want E(cell) > 0, E(cathode) > E(anode)

[005384106]

What does the cathode and the anode do?

[005384106]

Is the left side is the anode that dissolves, what happens to the right side (cathode)?

[Kylie Lim 4G]

From the equation deltaG = -nFE, you can tell that a reaction is spontaneous and does work if the value of Ecell > 0. Since to find E you would subtract the potential of the cathode by the potential of the anode, you will always get Ecell > 0 if the cathode value is larger.

[Vinita Saxena 2I]

Electrons travel from cathode to anode, so cathode>anode means work is done.

[Cindy Adiwidjaja 1B]

The cell will continue to do work until it dies. So E has to be positive.

[Brandon Valafar]

A cell can do work when Ecell is greater than zero, meaning that the cathode must be greater than the anode.

[Cindy Adiwidjaja 1B]

It is just standard convention that we travel from the anode to the cathode. When a cell is working spontaneously and naturally, then it will always travel from left to right.

[Shail Avasthi 2C]

Because if there is still potential difference between the cathode and anode, then the reaction is not at equilibrium, and electrons will continue to flow from the cathode to the anode. This generates electricity.

[kendal mccarthy]

This is because the Evalue at the cathode basically determines if the Ecell will be positive or negative. When the value is positive the system can do work, when the value is negative work must be done on the system. The equation is Ecell=Ecath-Eannode, so if Ecath>Eanode, the equation will have a net positive value.

[briannam_1F]

We want the ECell to be positive in order to do work because once the Ecell is equal to zero then that is when the battery is considered to be "dead."

[Gustavo_Chavez_1K]

Since the point of equilibrium has not been reached yet, then the cathod e cell would have to continue working. 0 is when the e cell stops working so we would want it to be a positive value to continue working.

[Libby Dillon - 1A]

On the right, a cathode is part of the reduction half reaction. On the left, an anode is part of the oxidation reaction. Since overall potential and E is the difference of the potential of the right, minus the potential of the left, useful work can be done when the cathode os greater than the anode.

[DMaya_2G]

A cell can do work when Ecell > 0, therefore the cathode > anode.

[Xavier Herrera 3H]

When E(cell) is not = 0, the cell can do work. Since E(cell) = E(cathode) - E(anode), if E(cell) is > 0, that means E(cathode) > E(anode) and the cell will do work. I assume that E(cell) can also be < 0 and do work, and in this case E(anode) > E(cathode)?

[Brandon Le 3C]

The system is not in equilibrium. Since the Ecell = Ecathode - Eanode, and Ecathode > Eanode, the Ecell will always be a positive value (Ecell > 0). Since E > 0, the cell can do work.

[Jason_John_2F]

the E cell needs to be positive in order to do work and will stop working when it reaches 0

[Joshua Swift]

If the E(cell) is >0 the cell can do work

[Mackenzie Stockton 2H]

The cell can do work whenever Ecell > 0