Question

An electrolytic cell is based upon a nonspontaneous reaction; the Eocell for the reaction is _____.

Answer 1

In an electrochemical cell in which the oxidation reaction is nonspontaneous  the oxidation will not occur spontaneously at the anode and the reduction will not be spontaneous at the cathode.  And according to the law for the calculation of the voltage potential of the electrochemical cell (Ecell):

Ecell = Eox. - Ere.  where (Eox. is the potential of the oxidation at the anode and Ere. is the potential of the reduction at the cathode). The standard potential for an electrolytic cell is negative, because of the Ere. which is greater than Eox.

The answer is : less than zero.