Final answer:
The charge on the titanium ion can be determined by using Faraday's laws of electrolysis and the knowledge that copper has a valency of +2. By comparing the moles of copper and titanium deposited, it is determined that titanium has a valency of +4.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the charge on a titanium ion given that the same charge deposits equal amounts of copper and titanium. We can use Faraday's laws of electrolysis to answer this. Given that 16 g of copper and 6 g of titanium were deposited by the same amount of charge, and knowing that copper has a valency of +2 (from copper sulfate during electrolysis), we can compare this to titanium's deposit to determine its charge.
Let's calculate the moles of copper and titanium using their respective atomic masses (Cu = 63.55 g/mol, Ti = 47.87 g/mol). The moles of copper deposited = 16 g ÷ 63.55 g/mol ≈ 0.252 mol. Since each copper ion carries 2+ charge, total charge = 0.252 mol x 2 x Faraday's constant. For titanium, the charge is the same, but we need to find the number of moles for 6 g, which is 6 g ÷ 47.87 g/mol ≈ 0.125 mol. The charge on the Ti ion can be calculated by dividing the charge by the number of moles of titanium.
By setting up the ratio of the moles and the known charges, we find the charge on the Ti ion, indicated by the number of moles times its charge (valency), which must be equivalent to that for copper. We find that the titanium has a valency of +4, thus answer b is correct.