Question

is this electrolytic cell thermodynamically favorable or thermodynamically unfavorable? 2al + 3sn⁺² → 3sn + 2al⁺³ e°_cell = 1.52 v a negative ecell makes the reaction unfavorable. a negative ecell makes the reaction favorable. a positive ecell makes the reaction unfavorable. a positive ecell makes the reaction favorable.

Explanation:

To determine the thermodynamic favorability of an electrochemical reaction, we use the relationship between the cell potential (\(E^{\circ}_{\text{cell}}\)) and the Gibbs free energy change (\(\Delta G^{\circ}\)): \(\Delta G^{\circ} = -nFE^{\circ}_{\text{cell}}\), where \(n\) is the number of moles of electrons transferred and \(F\) is Faraday's constant. A negative \(\Delta G^{\circ}\) indicates a thermodynamically favorable reaction. Since \(n\) and \(F\) are always positive, the sign of \(\Delta G^{\circ}\) depends on the sign of \(E^{\circ}_{\text{cell}}\). If \(E^{\circ}_{\text{cell}}\) is positive, \(\Delta G^{\circ}\) will be negative (because of the negative sign in the equation), meaning the reaction is thermodynamically favorable. In this problem, \(E^{\circ}_{\text{cell}} = 1.52\ \text{V}\) (positive), so the reaction is favorable when \(E^{\circ}_{\text{cell}}\) is positive.

Answer:

D. A positive Ecell makes the reaction favorable.