In this episode of MCAT Basics, we’ll cover Electrochemistry. We start with the role of salt bridges in electrochemical cells and cover the intricacies of cell notation. We’ll also discuss how ions maintain charge balance, the importance of reduction and oxidation potentials, and how these elements come together in galvanic and electrolytic cells. We’ll also take a closer look at concentration cells and the critical Nernst equation, which helps us understand cell potentials under non-standard conditions.
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Jump into the Conversation:
[00:00] Introduction to MCAT Basics
[01:09} Introduction to Electrochemistry
[03:20] Concentration cell: same metal, different ion concentrations
[13:05] Visualizing galvanic cells using royal analogy
[22:19] Reduction potential, oxidation potential, cell potential explained
[30:47] Electrochemical cells, Gibbs free energy, and Nernst equation
[41:16] Electroplating and electric current to coat metals
[45:40] Electrochemistry in Nanobiology: measuring oxidation of molecules