Past exam of the MPhil in micro- and nanotechnology enterprise course of the University of Cambridge 2017 Paper 1 Section B 11 ii Solution Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-10-20
On the stated area, the total electric current is . The known ohmic polarization is . Applying the supplied anodic Tafel equation givesAssume the quoted limiting current uses the same cathodic area convention. A steady diffusion-film model gives . The Nernst equation then makes the cathodic concentration overpotential magnitudeRelative to the local surface equilibrium potential, the cathode also needs an activation overpotential. Neglecting anodic concentration polarization, the separated-loss accounting isTo calculate that activation term, adopt a single effective two-electron Butler-Volmer equation with constant transfer coefficients satisfying , no anodic concentration polarization and reduction proportional to the surface concentration. The supplied anodic Tafel slope then determines the reverse slope throughWith and cathodic overpotential referenced to bulk equilibrium,Solving at gives , including both concentration and activation effects. ThusThe V concentration loss must not be added again. The kinetic assumption matters: the supplied slope is for copper oxidation, and an exchange current density alone does not specify every cathodic current-potential relation. A multistep copper reaction need not obey the effective single-step relation used for this estimate.
Tafel equation Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-10-20
An activation-controlled large-overpotential relation . The Tafel slope uses volts per decade when the logarithm is base ten. Exchange current density and operating current density must use the same area convention.