Faraday's Law Lab

The experiment aims to determine the Faraday constant by electrolyzing a copper sulfate solution. A copper mesh acts as the cathode where copper metal will plate, and a copper strip serves as the anode, where copper will oxidize and release ions into the solution.

The copper mesh is placed in a 400 ml beaker, and a stirring rod is positioned across it to support the copper anode. The anode is centered within the copper mesh, and the beaker is filled approximately three-quarters with one molar copper sulfate solution.

The positive (red) lead from a constant current power supply is connected to the anode, and the negative (black) lead is connected to the cathode (copper mesh). Care is taken to ensure the electrodes do not touch. The power supply provides a constant current, which is read from its meter, and a stopwatch is used to time the electrolysis duration.

After a set period, the experiment is stopped, and the leads are disconnected. The anode and stirring rod are removed. The cathode is rinsed with water to remove copper sulfate solution, then with acetone to aid water evaporation. After air-drying thoroughly, the copper mesh is re-weighed. The increase in mass, along with the known current and time, allows for the calculation of the Faraday constant.