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Question

What is the reaction taking place in the fuel cell?


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Solution

Fuel Cell

  • A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that uses an electrochemical reaction to create electrical energy from fuel.
  • To keep the reactions that create electricity going, these cells need a constant supply of fuel and an oxidizing agent.
  • As a result, until the supply of fuel and oxygen is shut off, these cells can continue to create power.

Working

  • The fuel cell worked by converting hydrogen and oxygen into a concentrated sodium hydroxide solution via carbon electrodes.
  • An equation for the cell reaction is as follows:
  • At Cathode: O2(g)+2H2O(aq)+4e–→4OH–(aq)
  • At Anode: 2H2(g)+4OH–(aq)→4H2O(aq)+4e–
  • Overall Reaction: 2H2(g)+O2(g)→2H2O(aq)
  • However, the rate of this electrochemical process is slow.
  • To solve this problem, a catalyst such as platinum or palladium is utilized.
  • Before being inserted into the electrodes, the catalyst is finely split to maximize the effective surface area.

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