Q.Cell used in wrist watch is:
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A battery is a packaged galvanic cell built to deliver steady direct current, split into primary batteries (non-rechargeable, discarded once discharged) and secondary batteries (rechargeable, since their cell reaction can be driven backward by an external potential greater than their own emf). The Leclanché (dry) cell — Zn anode, graphite/MnO2 cathode, NH4Cl/ZnCl2 paste electrolyte, ~1.5 V — is the classic primary cell; its emf drifts downward over its working life because its overall reaction, Zn+2NH4++2MnO2→Zn2++Mn2O3+H2O+2NH3, involves ions whose concentrations genuinely shift as discharge proceeds. The mercury button cell — Zn(Hg) anode, HgO/graphite cathode, KOH/ZnO electrolyte, ~1.35 V — is also primary, but its overall reaction, Zn+HgO→ZnO+Hg, involves no ions at all, which is exactly why its voltage stays remarkably flat throughout discharge. …
The cell for a wrist watch must deliver a steady voltage over its whole life, which rules out cells whose voltage drifts as ion concentrations change. The mercury cell fits because its reaction involves no ion whose conce …
The cell commonly used in wrist watches (and hearing aids) is the mercury cell.
The mercury cell consists of a zinc anode (amalgamated with mercury) and a cathode of a paste of HgO and carbon, in a moist paste of KOH and ZnO as electrolyte. Its key advantage for miniature devices like wrist watches is that its cell potential remains constant throughout its life (about 1.35 V), since the overall reaction does not involve any i …
- CBSE 2026Set A1 markMCQQ.Which of the following is a secondary cell ?(a) Leclanche cell(b) Lead storage battery(c) Concentration cell(d) All of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
A secondary cell can be recharged; the lead storage battery (lead-acid) is the classic rechargeable (secondary) cell.
Primary cells (e.g. Leclanche cell, dry cell) cannot be recharged. Secondary cells can be recharged by passing current in the reverse direction; examples are the lead storage battery and …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Write the name of anode used in the mercury cell.
›Reveal solutionSolution
The mercury (button) cell is a primary cell used in low-current devices like watches and hearing aids; it uses a zinc-mercury amalgam anode and a paste of HgO + carbon as cathode.
Anode: Zn(Hg) + 2OH− -> ZnO(s) + H2O + 2e−
Cathode: HgO(s) + H2O + 2e− -> Hg(l) + 2OH−
…
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Cell used in wrist watch is:(a) Dry cell(b) Fuel cell(c) Mercury cell(d) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
The cell commonly used in wrist watches (and hearing aids) is the mercury cell.
The mercury cell consists of a zinc anode (amalgamated with mercury) and a cathode of a paste of HgO and carbon, in a moist paste of KOH and ZnO as electrolyte. Its key advantage for miniature devices like wrist watches is that its cell potential remains constant throughout its life (about 1.35 V), since the overall reaction does not involve any i …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Which of the following statements is true regarding a primary cell?(a) The electrode reactions can be reversed(b) It can be recharged(c) An example of a primary cell is a mercury cell(d) An example of a primary cell is nickel-cadmium storage cell
›Reveal solutionSolution
A primary cell undergoes a one-way (irreversible) electrode reaction and cannot be recharged; the mercury cell is a classic example.
Checking each option:
- "Electrode reactions can be reversed" - false; this describes a SECONDARY (rechargeable) cell, not a primary cell.
- "It can be recharged" - false; primary cells are used once and discarded (or their reaction is not reversible on recharging). …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Among the following cells primary cells are :(i) Leclanche cell(ii) Nickel-Cadmium cell(iii) Lead Storage Battery(iv) Mercury cell(a)(iii) and(iv)(b)(i) and(iv)(c)(ii) and(iii)(d)(i) and (iii)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Primary cells are non-rechargeable, one-use galvanic cells; among the four listed, the Leclanche cell and the Mercury cell are primary, while Nickel-Cadmium and Lead storage batteries are secondary (rechargeable) cells.
A primary cell can supply current only until its reactants are used up, after which it must be discarded — the electrode reactions are not efficiently reversible. A secondary (storage) cell, by contrast, can be recharged by passing an external current through it in the reverse direction, regenerating the original reactants. (i) Leclanche cell (the common dry cell, Zn-MnO2/NH4Cl paste) — primary. (ii) Nickel-Cadmium cell — a rechargeable battery — secondary. (iii) Lead storage battery (used in vehicles, Pb/PbO2/H2SO4) — rechargeable — secondary. (iv) Mercury c …
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Write the chemical equation of reaction taking place on the anode in cadmium-nickel storage cell.
›Reveal solutionSolution
In the nickel–cadmium storage cell, cadmium metal is the anode and is oxidised during discharge.
The cadmium–nickel (Ni–Cd) cell is a rechargeable (secondary) cell with cadmium metal as the anode (negative electrode), nickel oxide-hydroxide NiO(OH) as the cathode, and aqueous KOH as the electrolyte.
During discharge, oxidation occurs at the anode — cadmium loses electrons and reacts with hydroxide ions from the electrolyte:
…
- CBSE 2017Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The primary cells are(a) rechargeable(b) non-rechargeable(c) everlasting(d) short lasting.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Primary cells cannot be recharged by passing current in the reverse direction — once used up they are discarded — option (b).
In a primary cell, the electrochemical reaction occurs only once; when the reactants are consumed, the cell stops producing current and cannot be reused by recharging (the reaction is essentially irreversible in practice). Examples include the dry (Leclanché) cell and the mercury cell. This is unlike secondary cells (e.g. the lead stora …
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