Talk:Zinc–air battery
The reaction at the anode is obviously wrong because the charges don't add up. I'd correct it but I don't know the correct reaction. --Alistair
- Well thank you for discovering this, 2 problems
- 1. The electrochemistry is erroneous, with two sites stating different reactions, it could be that several different zinc air reactions types exist. [1] [2]
- 2. Zinc-Air Fuel Cells has a reaction of its own. [3]
- I think all of these reactions need to be displayed, but information is needed for why they are different. --BerserkerBen 06:17, 3 February 2006 (UTC)
Thank you for trying to fix this. There isn't much knowledge about these reactions on the web, is there! The charges in these reactions still don't add up:
Anode: Zn + 2OH- → Zn(OH)42- + 2e- → ZnO + H2O
While I have absolutely no authority for the following reactions, they are at least not transparently wrong:
Anode: Zn + 4OH- → Zn(OH)42- + 2e- Fluid: Zn(OH)42- → ZnO + H2O + 2OH-
Can anybody help? --Alistair
Aha! I've found a reference. [4] Its "At the anode" reaction matches mine but omits the zincate intermediate. I'm therefore still not sure what to do to the page. --Alistair
How so don't the charges add up? Zinc should be changes its oxidation state going from zero to +2 and releasing 2 electrons. --BerserkerBen 18:18, 19 February 2006 (UTC)
Neither of the following reactions has balanced charges:
Zn + 2OH- → Zn(OH)42- + 2e- Zn(OH)42- + 2e- → ZnO + H2O
In the former, the total charge on the left is -2 and on the right is -4. In the latter, the total charge on the left is -4 and on the right is zero. The charges are correct for every individual chemical mentioned, but the reaction overall makes no sense. The numbers of hydrogen and oxygen atoms don't balance either, while we're on the subject. --Alistair
Sorry I was looking at the reaction below: Zn + 4OH- → Zn(OH)42- + 2e- → ZnO + H2O + 2OH- The zinc changes charge and gives up 2 electrons, so the charges look good to me, I didn't notices there was a 2 instead of 4 hydroxides on the main page, that needs to be fixed. Maybe it was because 2 hydroxides get recycled but still 4 need to be shown reacting with zinc.