Engineering Chemistry

2

Electrochemistry and Batteries

2.1 Introduction

Electrochemistry is defined as the branch of chemistry which deals with the relationship between electrical energy and chemical changes taking place in redox reactions i.e., how chemical energy produced in a redox reaction can be converted into electrical energy or how electrical energy can be used to bring about a redox reaction which is otherwise non-spontaneous.

When electricity is passed through the solution of an electrolyte to bring about a redox reaction known as electrolysis and the arrangement is called an electrolytic cell and when electricity is produced by redox reactions (which are spontaneous) gives rise to what are known as electrochemical cell or galvanic cell or voltaic cell. ...