Salt Bridge Definition

A salt bridge is a connection containing a weak electrolyte between the oxidation and reduction half-cells in a galvanic cell (e.g., voltaic cell, Daniell cell). Its purpose is to keep the electrochemical reaction from reaching equilibrium too quickly. If a cell is constructed without a salt bridge, one solution would quickly accumulate positive charge while the other would accumulate negative charge. This would halt the reaction and thus the generation of electricity.

Types of Salt Bridges

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Galvanic Cell Definition (Voltaic Cell)

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

The two main types of salt bridges are a glass tube and a piece of filter paper:

Glass Tube Bridge: This is a U-shaped glass tube filled with an electrolyte, such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, or potassium nitrate. The electrolyte needs to be relatively unreactive with other chemicals in the cell and have cations and anions with similar migratory speed (comparable ion charge and molecular weight). Because a salt solution could easy diffuse into the cell, the electrolyte is often held in a gel, such as agar-agar. The concentration of the salt solution is the biggest factor in conductivity. The diameter of the tube also has an effect. Lowering the concentration of the electrolyte or narrowing the glass tube lowers conductivity.

Filter Paper Bridge: Another common type of salt bridge consists of filter paper or another porous material soaked in an electrolyte (usually sodium chloride or potassium chloride). In this bridge, conductivity is affected by electrolyte concentration, porosity of the filter paper, and the roughness of the paper. A smooth, absorbent paper yields higher conductivity than rough paper with low absorbency.

Reference

• Hogendoorn, Bob (2010). Heinemann Chemistry Enhanced (2). Melbourne, Australia: Pearson Australia. p. 416.