19.3 Galvanic Cells | General Chemistry

Chad provides a thorough lesson about galvanic cells (aka voltaic cells). The lesson begins with a comparison and contrast of galvanic cells vs electrolytic cells. Galvanic cells involve a spontaneous reaction that produces energy (electricity), while electrolytic cells involve a nonspontaneous reaction that consumes energy. In the galvanic cell electrons travel through the wire from anode (which is negative) to cathode (which is positive). In the electrolytic cell electrons still travel from anode to cathode but the signs are the opposite (anode is positive and cathode negative).
In the galvanic cell the two half reactions take place in separate half-cells the solutions of which are connected by a salt bridge. Anions travel through the salt bridge to the anode, and cations travel through the salt bridge to the cathode in order to maintain electrical neutrality in the solutions of both half-cells. Finally, it is common for the anode to lose mass and the cathode to gain mass in galvanic cells over time, though a common exception is when inert electrodes are used.
I've embedded this playlist as a course on my website with all the lessons organized by chapter in a collapsible menu and much of the content from the study guide included on the page. Check this lesson out at www.chadsprep.com/chads-gener...
If you want all my study guides, quizzes, final exam reviews, and practice exams, check out my General Chemistry Master Course (free trial available) at www.chadsprep.com/genchem-you...
00:00 Lesson Introduction
00:25 Galvanic Cell vs Electrolytic Cell
04:29 Anode and Cathode in a Galvanic Cell
14:04 Salt Bridge in a Galvanic Cell
22:04 Inert Electrode
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what flows through the salt bridge? is it electrons or anions and cations ?

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Question. What exactly is a corresponding salt, and how is SO4-2 related to zinc and copper

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Can i ask you? I've learned that due to the difference in chemical potential between the metal and the solution, Zn ions and Cu ions move from the metal to the solution, leaving electrons in the metal, resulting in a potential difference and electron flow. Now, I want to clarify the relationship between the ions migrating into the solution and the neutrality of the solution's charge.

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You didn’t explain what happens to make SHE works without conducting ions to build the bridge.

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You lost me when explaining potential energy, I stopped at "if you've taken any physics" I'm usually very good with concepts, can't wrap my head around that explanation

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You can think of potential energy as a type of energy 'held' within the molecule as a result of its particular state. So for example if you are standing on the top of a cliff a certain number of meters above the Earth's surface you have gravitational potential energy - that is the potential to fall at velocity to the surface of the Earth if you were suddenly to not be supported, in the same way, electric potential is the potential for a charge to move due to it's position in an electric field (i.e. current moving due to electric potential created by the battery)