Chemistry Project on

Variation of Conductance in
Electrolytes
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S
ubmitted by Editor

Variation of Conductance with

Temperature in Electrolytes
Name: Deen Dayal

School: Mother Divine Public School

Roll No: 6229

Index

1.
Certificate...................................................................................
3
2.
Acknowledgements......................................................................
4
 3.
Aim.............................................................................................
5
4.
Apparatus....................................................................................
6
5. Important
Terms.......................................................................... 7
6.
Conductivity................................................................................
8
7. Factors Affecting Electrical
Conductivity...................................... 9
8.
Procedure...................................................................................
10
9. Physical
Constants..................................................................... 11
10. Observation Set

1................................................................. 12

11. Graph of Observation Set

1................................................. 13

12. Observation Set

2................................................................. 14

13. Graph of Observation Set

2................................................. 15

14.

Result....................................................................................... 16

15.
Conclusion................................................................................ 17

16.

Precautions............................................................................... 18

17.

Bibliography.............................................................................. 19

Certificate

This is to certify that Deen Dayal student of Class XII A, Mother

Divine Public School has completed the project titled Variation of
Conductance with Temperature in Electrolytes during the academic
year 2008-2009 towards partial fulfillment of credit for the
Chemistry practical evaluation of AISSCE 2009, and submitted
satisfactory report, as compiled in the following pages, under my
supervision.

Mrs Janet Garrison

Department of Chemistry Mother Divine Public School

Acknowledgements

"There are times when silence speaks so much more loudly than words
of praise to only as good as belittle a person, whose words do not
express, but only put a veneer over true feelings, which

are of gratitude at this point of time."

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my chemistry mentor

Mrs Janet Garrison, for her vital support, guidance and
encouragement - without which this project would not have come
forth. I would also like to express my gratitude to the staff of the
Department of Chemistry at South Park Elementary for their support
during the making of this project.

Aim
To find the variation of conductance with temperature in

electrolytes

Apparatus

Glass beaker, CuSO4 solution, Cu electrodes, ZnSO4 solution, Zn

electrodes, rheostat, battery eliminator, water, burner, thermometer,
flask, ammeter, voltmeter

Important Terms

* Conductance: The property of ease of flow of electric current

through a body is called conductance.

* Resistance: The obstacle offered to the flow of electric current

is called resistance.

* Electrolysis: The operation in which electricity causes a

chemical reaction is called electrolysis.

* Ohm's Law: This law states that the current flowing through a
resistance is directly proportional to the potential difference applied
across it's ends, at constant temperature and pressure.

V=IxR

* Faraday's Laws:

o First Law: The mass of a substance produced or consumed in

electrolysis is directly proportional to the quantity of charge passing
through it.

m (X Q

or, m = Z x I x t

where, Z is electrochemical equivalent; I is current; t is time in

seconds; Q is charge.
o Second Law: The mass of substance produced in electrolysis
directly proportional to its equivalent mass. W1 / E1 = W2 / E2 = W3
/ E3...

o Third Law: The mass of a substance produced in electrolysis is

directly proportional to the number of electrons per mole needed to
cause desired change in oxidation state.

Conductivity

When voltage is applied to the electrodes immersed into an

electrolyte solution, ions of electrolyte move, and thus, electric
current flows through the electrolytic solution. The electrolytic
solution and the metal conductors exhibit resistance to the passage of
the current; both of which obey Ohm's law.

The reciprocal of resistance is called electrical conductance. The unit

of electrical conductance is Siemens (S) or ohm-1 or mho.

If a solution is placed between two parallel electrodes having cross

sectional area A and distance L apart then the resistance is given by

R=1/C

p (called 'rho') is known as resistivity. Its reciprocal gives the

conductivity of the solution, which is denoted by k (called 'kappa'). Its
unit is Siemens/meter.

K=1/R*L/A

L/ A is a fixed quantity for a cell and is called the 'cell constant'.

Factors Affecting Electrical Conductivity

The factors which affect the electrical conductivity of the solutions

are:

* Inter-ionic attraction: It depends on solute- solute

interactions.
* Solvation of ions: It depends on solute-solvent interactions.

* Viscosity of the solvent: It depends on solvent-solvent

interactions.

Procedure

1. The electrolyte chosen is ZnSO4 and the electrodes are of

Zn.

1. Readings for the measurement of conductance are taken at

intervals of 3 DC.
2. Proper precautions are taken to avoid evaporation and to
keep other factors constant.
3. The vessel and electrodes are removed and the vessel is
cleaned and filled with ZnSO4 solution.
4. The electrodes are refitted in their original place so that the
distance between them does not change.
5. Current is passed and when the voltmeter and ammeter
show steady readings, they are noted.
6. The current is switched off.

1. It is seen that while the ammeter reading returns

at once to 0 position. The voltmeter needle pauses
for a while at a particular reading which is noted
down.
2. This reading indicates the back EMF in the
electrolyte.

1. Similarly, more sets of reading are taken,

and resistance is calculated.
2. Thus, the value of conductance is
calculated.

1. The switched on circuit

readings in voltmeter and
ammeter are taken.
 2. The current through the
electrolyte is changed by
adjusting the rheostat and
more sets of readings are
taken.
3. Thus, the mean value of
resistance is calculated.

1. Above steps are

repeated for CuSO4 as
electrolyte with
electrodes made of
Cu.

Physical Constants

For the purpose of accuracy and convenience, some important aspects

of the electrolyte process are kept constant in the experiment as their
variation might affect the conductivity of the electrolyte. They are:

* Voltage

* Nature of electrodes

* Size of electrodes

* Separation between the electrodes

* Concentration of the electrolytes

* Nature of the electrolytes

* Resistance in the circuit

Observation Set 1

For ZnSO4 electrolyte with Zn electrodes

Temperature Resistance Conductance

S Reading of Reading of
No Ammeter Voltmeter

I V R = V /1 C=1/R
1 23 [ DC 100 mA 1.0 V 10 Q 0.100 Q-1
2 26 [ DC 100 mA 0.95 V 9.5 Q 0.105 Q-1
3 29 [ DC 110 mA 0.89 V 8.09 Q 0.120 Q-1
4 32 [ DC 110 mA 0.84 V 7.63 Q 0.130 Q-1
5 35 [ DC 120 mA 0.80 V 6.66 Q 0.150 Q-1
6 38 [ DC 125 mA 0.75 V 6.00 Q 0.160 Q-1
7 41 [ DC 130 mA 0.71 V 7.6 Q 0.180 Q-1
8 44 [ DC 130 mA 0.65 V 5.00 Q 0.200 Q-1

Graph of Observation Set 1

Zinc Sulphate Electrolyte

0.1
0.05

Temperature (in degree Celsius)

Observation Set 2

For CuSO4 electrolyte

Temperature Reading of Resistance Conductance

S Reading of
Voltmeter

No Ammeter

I V R = V /1 C = 1/R
1 25 □C 75 mA 1.4 V 18.67 Q 0.053 Q-1
2 28 □C 75 mA 1.35 V 18.00 Q 0.055 Q-1
3 31 □C 75 mA 1.3 V 17.33 Q 0.057 Q-1
4 34 □C 75 mA 1.25 V 16.67 Q 0.060 Q-1
5 36 □C 80 mA 1.2 V 15.00 Q 0.066 Q-1
6 38 □C 80 mA 1.15 V 14.38 Q 0.069 Q-1
7 42 □C 80 mA 1.10 V 13.75 Q 0.072 Q-1
8 44 □C 85 mA 1.10 V 12.94 Q 0.075 Q-1
9 47 □C 85 mA 1.05 V 12.35 Q 0.080 Q-1
10 49 □C 90 mA 1.10 V 11.11 Q 0.090 Q-1
11 53 °C 90 mA 1.90 V 10.00 Q 0.100 Q-1

Graph of Observation Set 2

0.06

o .c

0.04

TO O

0.02

oO

Result

The relevant graph shows that the 1 / Resistance of an electrolyte

increases at a steady rate as the temperature

increases.

Conclusion

On heating a solution, it is known that viscosity gradually decreases,

with decrease in viscosity, the speed and movement of the ions
increases. In other words, the conductance of the electrolyte increases
with increases in temperature. Hence, the result of the experiment
agrees with reasoning.

Precautions
* Variation of resistance due to one of the factors should be kept
constant.

* The electrodes used in each case should always be kept parallel to

each other.

* The solution should be kept undisturbed throughout the

experiment.

* For each observation, three readings are taken and the mean value
is considered.

Bibliography

* Chemistry (Part I) - Textbook for Class XII; National Council of

Educational Research and Training

* Concepts of Physics 2 by H C Verma; Bharti Bhawan (Publishers &

Distributors)

1 Variation of Conductance with Temperature in Electrolytes Name: Eric Cartman

School: South Park Elementary Roll No: xxxxxx 2 Index 1.

Certificate.................................................................3 2.
Acknowledgements.....................................................4 3.
Aim..........................................................................5 4.

Apparatus..................................................................6 5. Important
Terms........................................................7 6.
Conductivity...............................................................8 7. Factors Affecting Electrical

Conductivity.........................9 8.
Procedure.................................................................10 9. Physical
Constants.....................................................11 10. Observation Set

1.....................................................12 11. Graph of Observation Set

1........................................13 12. Observation Set
2.....................................................14 13. Graph of Observation Set

2........................................15 14. Result.....................................................................16

15. Conclusion...............................................................17 16.
Precautions..............................................................18 17.
Bibliography.............................................................19 3 Certificate This is to certify
that Eric Cartman, student of Class XII A, South Park Elementary School has

completed the project titled Variation of Conductance with Temperature in

Electrolytes during the academic year 2008-2009 towards partial fulfillment of
credit for the Chemistry practical evaluation of AISSCE 2009, and submitted

satisfactory report, as compiled in the following pages, under my supervision. Mrs

Janet Garrison Department of Chemistry South Park Elementary 4
Acknowledgements "There are times when silence speaks so much more loudly than

words of praise to only as good as belittle a person, whose words do not express, but
only put a veneer over true feelings, which are of gratitude at this point of time." I
would like to express my sincere gratitude to my chemistry mentor Mrs Janet

Garrison, for her vital support, guidance and encouragement - without which this
project would not have come forth. I would also like to express my gratitude to the
staff of the Department of Chemistry at South Park Elementary for their support

during the making of this project. 5 Aim To find the variation of conductance with
temperature in electrolytes 6 Apparatus Glass beaker, CuSO4 solution, Cu electrodes,
ZnSO4 solution, Zn electrodes, rheostat, battery eliminator, water, burner,

thermometer, flask, ammeter, voltmeter 7 Important Terms Conductance: The

property of ease of flow of electric current through a body is called conductance.
Resistance: The obstacle offered to the flow of electric current is called resistance.

Electrolysis: The operation in which electricity causes a chemical reaction is

called electrolysis. Ohm's Law: This law states that the current flowing through a
resistance is directly proportional to the potential difference applied across it's

ends, at constant temperature and pressure. V = I x R Faraday's Laws: First

Law: The mass of a substance produced or consumed in electrolysis is directly

proportional to the quantity of charge passing through it. m Q or, m = Z × I × t

where, Z is electrochemical equivalent; I is current; t is time in seconds; Q is charge.
Second Law: The mass of substance produced in electrolysis directly proportional

to its equivalent mass. W1 / E1 = W2 / E2 = W3 / E3... Third Law: The mass of a

substance produced in electrolysis is directly proportional to the number of
electrons per mole needed to cause desired change in oxidation state. 8 Conductivity

When voltage is applied to the electrodes immersed into an electrolyte solution, ions
of electrolyte move, and thus, electric current flows through the electrolytic
solution. The electrolytic solution and the metal conductors exhibit resistance to the

passage of the current; both of which obey Ohm's law. The reciprocal of resistance is
called electrical conductance. The unit of electrical conductance is Siemens (S) or
ohm-1 or mho. If a solution is placed between two parallel electrodes having cross

sectional area A and distance L apart then the resistance is given by R = 1 / C ρ

(called 'rho') is known as resistivity. Its reciprocal gives the conductivity of the
solution, which is denoted by κ (called 'kappa'). Its unit is Siemens/meter. Κ = 1 / R

* L / A L / A is a fixed quantity for a cell and is called the 'cell constant'. 9 Factors
Affecting Electrical Conductivity The factors which affect the electrical conductivity
of the solutions are: Inter-ionic attraction: It depends on solute- solute

interactions. Solvation of ions: It depends on solute-solvent interactions.

Viscosity of the solvent: It depends on solvent-solvent interactions. 10 Procedure 1.
The electrolyte chosen is ZnSO4 and the electrodes are of Zn. 2. Readings for the

measurement of conductance are taken at intervals of 3 C. 3. Proper precautions are

taken to avoid evaporation and to keep other factors constant. 4. The vessel and
electrodes are removed and the vessel is cleaned and filled with ZnSO4 solution. 5.

The electrodes are refitted in their original place so that the distance between them
does not change. 6. Current is passed and when the voltmeter and ammeter show
steady readings, they are noted. 7. The current is switched off. 8. It is seen that

while the ammeter reading returns at once to 0 position. The voltmeter needle
pauses for a while at a particular reading which is noted down. 9. This reading
indicates the back EMF in the electrolyte. 10. Similarly, more sets of reading are

taken, and resistance is calculated. 11. Thus, the value of conductance is calculated.
12. The switched on circuit readings in voltmeter and ammeter are taken. 13. The
current through the electrolyte is changed by adjusting the rheostat and more sets

of readings are taken. 14. Thus, the mean value of resistance is calculated. 15. Above
steps are repeated for CuSO4 as electrolyte with electrodes made of Cu. 11 Physical

Constants For the purpose of accuracy and convenience, some important aspects of
the electrolyte process are kept constant in the experiment as their variation might
affect the conductivity of the electrolyte. They are: Voltage Nature of

electrodes Size of electrodes Separation between the electrodes

Concentration of the electrolytes Nature of the electrolytes Resistance in the
circuit 12 Observation Set 1 For ZnSO4 electrolyte with Zn electrodes S No

Temperature Reading of Ammeter I Reading of Voltmeter V Resistance R = V / I

Conductance C = 1 / R 1 23 C 100 mA 1.0 V 10 Ω 0.100 Ω-1 2 26 C 100 mA 0.95 V 9.5
Ω 0.105 Ω-1 3 29 C 110 mA 0.89 V 8.09 Ω 0.120 Ω-1 4 32 C 110 mA 0.84 V 7.63 Ω

0.130 Ω-1 5 35 C 120 mA 0.80 V 6.66 Ω 0.150 Ω-1 6 38 C 125 mA 0.75 V 6.00 Ω 0.160
Ω-1 7 41 C 130 mA 0.71 V 7.6 Ω 0.180 Ω-1 8 44 C 130 mA 0.65 V 5.00 Ω 0.200 Ω-1 13
Graph of Observation Set 1 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.1 0.11

0.12 0.13 0.15 0.16 0.18 0.2 Zinc Sulphate Electrolyte Temperature (in degree
Celsius) Conductance (in Mho) 14 Observation Set 2 For CuSO4 electrolyte S No
Temperature Reading of Ammeter I Reading of Voltmeter V Resistance R = V / I

Conductance C = 1/R 1 25 C 75 mA 1.4 V 18.67 Ω 0.053 Ω-1 2 28 C 75 mA 1.35 V 18.00

Ω 0.055 Ω-1 3 31 C 75 mA 1.3 V 17.33 Ω 0.057 Ω-1 4 34 C 75 mA 1.25 V 16.67 Ω 0.060
Ω-1 5 36 C 80 mA 1.2 V 15.00 Ω 0.066 Ω-1 6 38 C 80 mA 1.15 V 14.38 Ω 0.069 Ω-1 7

42 C 80 mA 1.10 V 13.75 Ω 0.072 Ω-1 8 44 C 85 mA 1.10 V 12.94 Ω 0.075 Ω-1 9 47 C

85 mA 1.05 V 12.35 Ω 0.080 Ω-1 10 49 C 90 mA 1.10 V 11.11 Ω 0.090 Ω-1 11 53 °C 90
mA 1.90 V 10.00 Ω 0.100 Ω-1 15 Graph of Observation Set 2 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.09
0.1 Copper Sulphate Electrolyte Temperature (in degree Celsius) Conductance (in
Mho) 16 Result The relevant graph shows that the 1 / Resistance of an electrolyte

increases at a steady rate as the temperature increases. 17 Conclusion On heating a

solution, it is known that viscosity gradually decreases, with decrease in viscosity,
the speed and movement of the ions increases. In other words, the conductance of

the electrolyte increases with increases in temperature. Hence, the result of the
experiment agrees with reasoning. 18 Precautions Variation of resistance due to
one of the factors should be kept constant. The electrodes used in each case

should always be kept parallel to each other. The solution should be kept
undisturbed throughout the experiment. For each observation, three readings are
taken and the mean value is considered. 19 Bibliography Chemistry (Part I) –

Textbook for Class XII; National Council of Educational Research and Training
Concepts of Physics 2 by H C Verma; Bharti Bhawan (Publishers & Distributors)

www.icbse.com