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Question
Why does the cell potential of mercury cell remain constant throughout its life?
Solution
- A mercury cell consists of a zinc container as the anode, a carbon rod as the cathode and a paste of mercuric oxide mixed with KOH as the electrolyte.
- In this cell, the overall cell reaction does not involve any ion whose concentration may change.
- Therefore, this cell gives a constant potential of 1.5 V throughout its life.
- However, these cells should be reprocessed for mercury recovery or treated to prevent mercury or mercury compounds from entering the atmosphere and causing pollution.
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