In an electrolysis experiment, a student passes the same...

In an electrolysis experiment, a student passes the same quantity of electricity through two electrolytic cells, one containing a silver salt and the other a gold salt. Over a certain period of time, she finds that $2.64 \mathrm{~g}$ of $\mathrm{Ag}$ and $1.61 \mathrm{~g}$ of $\mathrm{Au}$ are deposited at the cathodes. What is the oxidation state of gold in the gold salt?

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Key Concepts

Faraday's Laws of Electrolysis

Faraday's laws state that the amount of substance deposited at an electrode during electrolysis is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity (charge) passed through the electrolyte. This establishes a quantitative relationship between the charge, the number of moles of electrons transferred, and the mass of substance reduced or oxidized at the electrode.

Electrochemical Stoichiometry

Electrochemical stoichiometry deals with the mole-to-mole relationships between the electrons involved in the redox reaction and the ions being reduced or oxidized. By understanding these relationships, one can determine how many electrons are required to reduce one mole of an ion, which in turn helps in calculating the oxidation state of the element in the compound based on the mass deposited.

Oxidation States

The oxidation state is a measure of the effective charge of an atom in a compound, assuming complete ionic character of the bonds. In the context of electrolysis, determining the oxidation state of an ion involves analyzing the ratio of electrons used in depositing a metal relative to known standards, thus revealing the number of electrons each ion requires to be reduced.

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