Faculty Sponsor(s)
Michael Crosser
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library: Grand Avenue
Subject Area
Physics/Applied Physics
Description
When electric potentials are applied from an electrolytic fluid to a metal, a double layer capacitor, Cdl, develops at the interface. The layer directly at the interface is called the Stern layer and has a thickness equal to roughly the size of the ions in the fluid. The next layer, the diffuse layer, arises from the gathering of like charges in the Stern layer. This layer is the distance needed for ionic concentrations to match the bulk fluid. This distance, called the Debye length, λ, depends on the square root of the electrolyte concentration. To study the properties of the diffuse layer, we measure C using different concentrations of electrolyte solutions in a cylindrical capacitor system we machined.
Recommended Citation
Rath, Geoffrey, "Measuring the Double Layer Capacitance of Electrolytes with Varied Concentrations" (2018). Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement. Event. Submission 45.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/symposium/2018/all/45
Measuring the Double Layer Capacitance of Electrolytes with Varied Concentrations
Jereld R. Nicholson Library: Grand Avenue
When electric potentials are applied from an electrolytic fluid to a metal, a double layer capacitor, Cdl, develops at the interface. The layer directly at the interface is called the Stern layer and has a thickness equal to roughly the size of the ions in the fluid. The next layer, the diffuse layer, arises from the gathering of like charges in the Stern layer. This layer is the distance needed for ionic concentrations to match the bulk fluid. This distance, called the Debye length, λ, depends on the square root of the electrolyte concentration. To study the properties of the diffuse layer, we measure C using different concentrations of electrolyte solutions in a cylindrical capacitor system we machined.
