Question

There's a disagreement between me and my high school chemistry teacher regarding the answer to this question. I'm not convinced by his argument and neither is he convinced by my argument.

The problem goes as following

What balances charges that may build up as reduction and oxidation occur in a voltaic cell?

a. the salt bridge.

b. the electrolyte solutions

c. one of the half-cells

d. the moving electrons

We both agree that the word charges in the question refers to electrons. I argue that the answer is a. the salt bridge. The salt bridge allows ions to pass to between the half-cells which prevents the build-up of charge on one of the half-cells due to the electrons, allowing the reaction to continue. So the salt bridge counter-acts or balances the charges. My teacher claims that the answer is d. the moving electrons. He argues that moving the electrons balances the charges (I can't really phrase his argument).

My understanding of balances the charges is counter-acts the effect of the charges. Perhaps this is where I just don't understand the question or my teacher. How can the movement of the electrons balance the charges or, in my understanding, counter-act the effect of the charges when it, in my understanding, is what creates the effect of the charges.

What is the correct answer and why

Answer 1

The salt bridge maintains electrical neutrality in a voltaic cell by allowing ions to migrate between half-cells, thus balancing the charges that build up during redox reactions.The correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The disagreement is about what balances charges that may build up as reduction and oxidation occur in a voltaic cell. The correct answer is a. the salt bridge.

The salt bridge serves an essential purpose in a voltaic cell as it maintains electrical neutrality by permitting ions to migrate between the half-cells, thus balancing the charges that could lead to a charge buildup.

As oxidation occurs at the anode, an excess of positive charge can develop due to the loss of electrons; similarly, as reduction occurs at the cathode, an excess of negative charge can develop due to the gain of electrons.

The movement of ions through the salt bridge counteracts these effects, maintaining the charge balance and allowing the voltaic cell to function properly.

While the electrons themselves do move, they are the charge carriers that flow through the external circuit, and their movement does not directly neutralize the charge buildup within the individual half-cells.The correct answer is option A.