Concept:In any standard galvanic (voltaic) cell, electrons always flow through the external wire from the anode (site of oxidation) to the cathode (site of reduction).
Solution:- Zinc (Zn) has a lower standard reduction potential (\( -0.76 \text{ V} \)) compared to Copper (\( +0.34 \text{ V} \)).
- Therefore, Zinc acts as the anode and gets oxidized (loses electrons: \( Zn \rightarrow Zn^{+2} + 2e^- \)).
- Copper acts as the cathode and gets reduced (gains those electrons).
- The electrons travel from the Zinc electrode, through the external circuit, to the Copper electrode.
Why other options are incorrect:Electrons never flow from a higher reduction potential (Cu) to a lower one (Zn) spontaneously. The porous partition regulates internal ion flow, not external electron flow.
Quality & Fidelity Assurance:
Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.