Question

An electrochemical cell is made up of two half-cells connected by a salt bridge and an external conductor. What is the function of the salt bridge?

Answer 1

The salt bridge prevents the direct mixing of one half-cell solution with the other and allows ions to migrate from one half-cell to another.

Answer 2

Salt bridge is used to maintain the electrical neutrality in a cell as migration of ions from half cell to other half cell occurs to keep the balance in charges. In the absence of the salt bridge, the charges get imbalanced. After that, the cell stops working because ions will collected in both the electrolytes until the potential difference due to ions and potential difference from the reaction is just opposite to each other. Due to this, flow of electrons doesn't takes place and no current will flow.

Therefore, the function of salt bridge is to maintain the electrical neutrality in a cell.