Problem 7.1: Name the four components of a corrosion cell

From Chapter 7 Problem Set. Level 1: Conceptual Mastery.

Question

Name the four components of a corrosion cell. In an open cooling tower, which cathodic reactant is effectively impossible to eliminate, and why?

Answer

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Anode (metal dissolves), cathode (site of electron consumption), electrolyte (ionic conduction through water), metallic path (electron conduction through metal). Oxygen is the most difficult cathodic reactant to remove because it is replenished from the atmosphere.