2 months later

hi,
we just started the topic of fuel cells and i'm very confused. what's the connection between electrolytic, primary, secondary, voltaic, electrochemical cells?? we just did reduction and oxidation and that's fine but i can't seem to understand the whole 'batteries' thing.
someone pls help a stressed student out

    juliarobertsxxx Voltaic cells are electrochemical cells that convert chemical energy to electrical energy. Most of the time, VCAA wants to see the term “galvanic cell” since that’s the more common name for it. Primary and secondary cells are types of galvanic cells (primary = non rechargeable, secondary = rechargeable), whereas fuel cells are special galvanic cells that only work while the fuel is being supplied.

    Electrolytic cells are electrochemical cells that use electrical energy to produce a chemical species through a non spontaneous reaction. When a secondary cell is being recharged, it’s an electrolytic cell

      3 months later

      Hi, this is related to subject selections but I wanted to know if it is it possible to take VCE Chem without prior exposure to it?
      I didn't take subjects like Environmental Science or Investigations but I was hoping to take Chem for Yr 11 but I'm worried that I'm already behind considering it is a very hard subject.
      I took only took Proj and Forensics this year so my Chem understanding is very minimal.

        c:_melly If you have an interest in Chemistry and the motivation to apply yourself, I would say go for it! That's what Year 11 Chemistry is for, familiarising you with the basic concepts before going into Year 12.

            GreenAcorn Thank you so much for the encouragement, I'm feeling a little more at eased now. (*´∀人) Thanks~

              2 months later

              hi, i'm doing wace chem but i have a question that hopefully can be answered - what are random errors and what are systematic errors? i've been struggling to find an answer that can differentiate between the two. can examples of these errors in the lab also be provided?

              thanks in advance 🙂

                juliarobertsxxx
                Hi there,

                Random errors are as a result of unpredictable variations in readings. They can be caused by estimating readings between lines on a measuring instrument (e.g. a measuring cylinder), or fluctuations during measuring (e.g. a draught through the room which changes the reading shown by an electronic balance). Random errors reduce precision of results as they increase the spread of readings. To reduce the effect of random errors, you can average your results, take more measurements or have a larger sample size.

                Systematic errors are as a result of identifiable causes. They can be caused by incorrect calibration of measuring instruments, poorly maintained instruments, faulty readings by the user (e.g. parallax error when using a measuring cylinder). Systematic errors reduce accuracy of results as they shift measurements in one direction from the true value. To reduce the effect of systematic errors, you can correctly use the appropriate, calibrated equipment. Repeating an experiment won't reduce the effect of systematic errors.

                Hope that helps!

                  a year later

                  hello I have no clue if this thread is still alive, but I have a few questions on fuel cells

                  • when it comes to the name of a fuel cell, what does that tell you?
                    Once it said: phosphoric acid fuel cell, but that wasn't the substance which was a reactant, and another time it said ethanol fuel cell, which was a reactant.

                  Need help to understand how to approach " article based SAC for chemistry". Any guidance and mocks?

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