Question

in which direction will the following reaction go if the standard reduction potentials are 0.80 V for Ag/Ag+ and -0.44 V for Fe/Fe2+?

Answer 1

@JFraser

Answer 2

which reduction potential is larger?

Answer 3

Silver?

Answer 4

then the silver will be the reduction half, and the iron will be flipped backwards and be the oxidation

Answer 5

So does that mean it's a reverse reaction?

Answer 6

it means that iron won't be reduced, because its potential is lower than the reduction potential of silver

Answer 7

you can use the half-reactions to write the overall reaction once you know that

Answer 8

Well the reaction is \(Ag^++Fe--->Ag+Fe^{2+}\)

Answer 9

oh, that's not a minus sign by the way...

Answer 10

ok, so look at the silver in the reaction. Is it being oxidized, or reduced?

Answer 11

it goes from \(Ag^{+1}\) to \(Ag^0\). Is that oxidizing (losing electrons) or reducing (gaining electrons)

Answer 12

reducing, right?

Answer 13

it is.

Answer 14

since the way the forward reaction is written shows silver being reduced, and silver has a higher reduction potential than iron, then the reaction will run in the direction that \(favors\) the highest reduction potential

Answer 15

so what's the highest reduction potential? (I'm sorry for so many questions)

Answer 16

which has the higher reduction potential: silver, or iron?

Answer 17

silver.

Answer 18

so the reaction will run in the direction where silver gets reduced

Answer 19

ohh where it gets reduced. So it's a forward reaction? because it's reduced in the product side?

Answer 20

because silver gets reduced in the forward direction, that's the direction the reaction will run in

Answer 21

okay, thank you so much!

Answer 22

One more?

Answer 23

sure