Lesson plan
Partial current
In electrochemistry, partial current is defined as the electric current associated with (anodic or cathodic) half of the electrode reaction. Depending on the electrode half-reaction, one can distinguish two types of partial current: * cathodic partial current I c (called also cathodic current): is the flow of electrons from the electrode surface to a species in solution; * anodic partial current I a (called also anodic current): is the flow of electrons into the electrode from a species in solution. The cathodic and anodic partial currents are defined by IUPAC. The partial current densities (i c and i a ) are the ratios of partial currents respect to the electrode areas (A c and A a ): :i c = I c /A c :i a = I a /A a The sum of the cathodic partial current density i c (positive) and the anodic partial current density i a (negative) gives the net current density i: :i = i c + i a In the case of the cathodic partial current density being equal to the anodic partial current density (for example, in a corrosion process ), the net current density on the electrode is zero: :i eq = i c,eq + i a,eq = 0 When more than one reaction occur on an electrode simultaneously, then the total electrode current can be expressed as: : I = \Sigma I_{a,j} + \Sigma I_{c,j} where the index j refers to the particular reactions.
Article summary
In electrochemistry, partial current is defined as the electric current associated with (anodic or cathodic) half of the electrode reaction. Depending on the electrode half-reaction, one can distinguish two types of partial current: * cathodic partial current I c (called also cathodic current): is the flow of electrons from the electrode surface to a species in solution; * anodic partial current I a (called also anodic current): is the flow of electrons into the electrode from a species in solution. The cathodic and anodic partial currents are defined by IUPAC. The partial current densities (i c and i a ) are the ratios of partial currents respect to the electrode areas (A c and A a ): :i c = I c /A c :i a = I a /A a The sum of the cathodic partial current density i c (positive) and the anodic partial current density i a (negative) gives the net current density i: :i = i c + i a In the case of the cathodic partial current density being equal to the anodic partial current density (for example, in a corrosion process ), the net current density on the electrode is zero: :i eq = i c,eq + i a,eq = 0 When more than one reaction occur on an electrode simultaneously, then the total electrode current can be expressed as: : I = \Sigma I_{a,j} + \Sigma I_{c,j} where the index j refers to the particular reactions.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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