ELECTROLYSI

S
Elect
roly
sisisthedecompositi
on(br
eaki
ngdown)ofa
substanceusingelect
ri
calener
gy.El
ectr
iccur
renti
s
passedthroughthesubstancedecomposed.

Def
ini
ti
onoft
erms
1.
Elect
rodes
Theseareconduct
ingrodsorplat
esthroughwhich
cur
rentent
ersandleav
est heel
ectrol
yte.El
ect
rodes
havetheposi
ti
veandnegat i
veends.
(
a)ANODE
Thisistheposi
ti
veel ect
rodethr
oughwhichcurrent
enterstheel
ectr
olyte.Thenegat
ivei
ons(anions)
areattr
actedanddischargedattheanode.
Oxidati
ontakesplacehere
(
b)CATHODE
Thi
si sthenegativ
eelectr
odethroughwhichcurr
ent
l
eavest heel
ectrol
yte.Posi
ti
veions(cati
ons)ar
e
at
tractedanddischargedatthecathode.

NB:elect
ronsfl
owfrom t
hecat
hodet
otheanode.
Reducti
ontakespl
acehere.
2.
Elect
rol
yte
Thisisasubstancethatconductsel
ectr
ici
tywhen
moltenorinsolut
ion(dissol
vedinwater
).Thi
sisa
l
iquidthatal
l
owscur renttopassthr
ough.
3.
Non-
elect
rol
yte
Acompoundorasubst anceinmolt
enstateor
solut
ionwhichdonotconductel
ect
ri
cit
y,egpar
aff
in,
ethanol
,sugarsol
uti
onetc.
4.
Act
iveel
ect
rodes
Theseareel
ectr
odeswhichreactwit
htheproduct
sof
el
ectr
oly
sisorel
ectr
oly
te,henceaff
ectthe
el
ectr
oly
sis.
Eg,copperel
ect
rodesi
ntheel
ect
rol
ysi
sofcopperI
I
sul
phate.
5.
Iner
tel
ect
rodes
Theseel
ectr
odesdonotreactwi
tht
hepr
oduct
sof
el
ectr
oly
sisorel
ect
rol
yte.
Eg,
plat
inum orcarbonel
ect
rodesar
enor
mal
l
yused
asi
nertelect
rodes.
ANELECTROLYTI
CCELL

NB:
Positi
veions(cations)areatt
racted/mi gr
ateto
t
hecathode(negati
veel ect
rode)andar edischarged
t
her
e.Negati
v ei
ons( anions)areatt
racted/migrateto
t
heanode(positi
veelectrode)andaredi scharged
t
her
e.
El
ect
rol
ysi
sofmol
ten(
MELTED)compounds
Exampl
e
El
ectrol
ysi
sofmol t
enleadI
Ibromi
de(
PbBr
2).The
0
melt
ingpointofPbBr2i
s370C.
I
onspr
esent
:Pb+2andBr
-1

Cat
hoder
eact
ion:
Pb+2(
aq) + 2e→ Pb(
s)
LeadIIi
onsareatt
ract
edanddischar
gedatt
he
cathodebygai
ningtwoel
ect
ronstobecomelead
atoms.
Anoder
eact
ion:
-1
2Br (aq)→ Br
2 +2e-
Bromidei
onsareat
tractedanddischar
gedatthe
anodebylosi
ngel
ectrons,andbecomebromine
molecul
e.

ELECTROLYSI
SOFAQUEOUSSOLUTI
ONS

FACTORSAFFECTI
NGPREFERENTI
ALDI
SCHARGE
OFI
ONS

-Posi
ti
onoft
hei
oni
ntheel
ect
rochemi
cal
ser
ies
-Concent
rat
ionofi
onsi
nsol
uti
on
-Nat
ureofel
ect
rodes

1.
Posi
ti
onoft
hei
oni
ntheel
ect
rochemi
calser
ies
I
onsofl essreacti
vemet al
sandnon- metal
s
(belowintheelect
rochemicalseri
es)wil
lbe
dischar
gedinpr ef
erencetoionsofmor ereact
ive
met al
sandnon- metal
s,(abovethem i
ntheseries)

El
ect
rochemi
calser
ies

Cat
ions ani
ons
K+ SO4-2
Na+ NO3-
Ca+2 -
Cl
Mg+2 Br
-
Zn+2 -
I
Fe+2 OH-
 Pb+2
H+
Cu+2
Ag+
2.
Concent
rat
ionofi
onsi
nsol
uti
on
Moreconcentrat
edionsinsol
uti
onwill
be
di
schar
gedinpr ef
erencetol
essconcentr
ated
i
onsinsolut
ion.
3.
Nat
ureofel
ect
rodes
Thisfact
orwi
lldependonwhet
hert
heel
ect
rodes
areacti
veori
nert.

ELECTROLYSISOFCONCENTRATEDAQUEOUSSODI
UM
CHLORIDE,NaCl(
Bri
ne)
Car
bon(
iner
t)el
ect
rodesar
eused
Concent
rat
edsodi
um chl
ori
dei
scal
l
edBRI
NE
I
onspr
esent
:

Cat
hoder
eact
ion:

obser
vat
ion
Anoder
eact
ion:

Obser
vat
ion

Afterthehydrogen(H+)ionsandchlori
de(Cl
-)i
onsare
dischargedtheremaini
ngsodi um (
Na+)andhydroxi
de
(OH-)ionscombi net
ofor m sodi
um hydr
oxi
de(NaOH) .
THEELECTROLYTETHEREFORECHANGESFROM
NEUTRALTOALKALINE
Pr
oduct
soft
hisel
ect
rol
ysi
sar
e
-Concent
rat
edsodi
um hy
droxi
de
-Hy
drogengaspr
oducedatt
hecat
hode
-Chl
ori
negaspr
oducedatt
heanode
ELECTROLYSISOFCONCENTRATEDHYDROCHLORI
C
ACID(usi
nginer
tel
ect
rodes)
Thei
ner
tel
ect
rodesusedar
ecar
bonel
ect
rodes
I
onspr
esent
:H+ andCl
-
fr
om HCl
H+ andOH-f
rom H2O
CATHODEREACTI
ON:
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
Obser
vat
ions:
(
leav
e1l
i
ne)
ANODEREACTI
ON
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
Obser
vat
ions:
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
Pr
oduct
soft
hisel
ect
rol
ysi
s
-
-
-

ELECTROLYSISOFDILUTESULPHURICACID(t
heso-
cal
ledelect
rol
ysi
sofaci
dif
iedwat
er)usi
ngi
ner
t
el
ectrodes
I
ner
tel
ect
rodesusedar
epl
ati
num el
ect
rodes
Hof
fmannv
olt
ammet
er
(
diagr
am ¾ofapage)
I
onspr
esent
:
H+ andSO4-2f
rom H2SO4
H+ andOH-f
rom H2O
CATHODEREACTI
ON
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
Obser
vat
ion:
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
ANODEREACTI
ON
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
Obser
vat
ion:
(
leav
e2l
i
nes)
NB:Ionsofwat
er( H+andOH-)aredi
schar
gedl eav
ing
behi
ndionsofsulphuri
caci H+andSO4-2)
d( .The
el
ectrol
ytet
her
eforewi l
lbeconcent
rat
edwi t
hsulphuri
c
aci
d.
Onemol ecul
eofoxygenisproducedforever
ytwo
moleculesofhy
drogen,i
e,t
hev ol
umeofoxy genobt
ained
i
shalfthatofhydr
ogenbecause,oxygenismoresol
ublein
wat
er .
Pr
oduct
soft
hisel
ect
rol
ysi
sar
e:
-Hy
drogengaspr
oducedatt
hecat
hode
-Oxy
gengaspr
oducedatt
heanode
-Concent
rat
edsul
phur
icaci
d
El
ect
roly
sisofaqueousCopperI
ISul
phat
eusi
ngcar
bon
el
ect
rodes(i
nertel
ectr
odes)
I Cu+2 andSO4-2 f
ONSPRESENT: rom CuSO4
H+ andOH- f
rom H20
CATHODEREACTI
ON

Obser
vat
ion
-Br
owncopperdeposi
t
ANODEREACTI
ON

Obser
vat
ion
-
bubbl
esofoxy
gengas
NB:Theelect
rol
ytechangesf
rom bl
uet
oli
ghtbl
uet
o
col
ourl
ess.
WHY?
Thi
sisbecausecopperIIi
ons(Cu+2)i
nsoluti
onarebl
ue,
sothesol
uti
onlosesit
scolourastheyareremoved.
 (
diagr
am)

Pr
oduct
soft
hisel
ect
rol
ysi
sar
e:
-Copperf
ormedatt
hecat
hode
-Oxy
gengasf
ormedatt
heanode
-Sul
phur
icaci
dint
heel
ect
rol
yte

El
ect
roly
sisofaqueousCopperI
ISul
phat
eusi
ngcopper
el
ect
rodes(act
iveel
ectr
odes)
I Cu+2 ,SO4-2
ONSPRESENT:
H+ ,OH-

REACTI
ONATTHECATHODE

Obser
vat
ion
-Thecat
hodeel
ect
rodei
ncr
easei
nsi
ze

REACTI
ONATTHEANODE
BothSO4-2andOH-ionsareat t
ractedt otheanode,but
nei
therofthem i
sdischarged.Insteadt hecopperanode
di
ssolvesinsol
uti
onbyl osingelectrons.Thisi
scalled
ELECTRODEI ONISATION.
Obser
vat
ions
-TheCuSO4solut
ion(
elect
rol
yte)r
emai
nthesame
col
our(
blue)
.
WHY?
Thisi heCu+2(
sbecauset blueincolor
)from t
he
anoderepl heCu+2di
acest schargedatthecat
hodeas
aresul
ttheel
ect
rol
yter
emai nsblue.
-Thecopperanodedecr
easei
nsi
ze.

Massofcoppergai
ned massofcopper
l
ost
Att
hecat
hode = att
heanode

(
diagr
am)
 Pur
if
icat
ionofcopper

Copperisav erygoodconductorofel
ectr
ici
ty.I
tmust
theref
orebepur etobeusedforelect
ri
calwir
ing.To
ensurethelevelofpur
it
y,copperhastobepur i
fi
edby
electr
oly
sis.

Not
e:

Thei
mpur
ecopperi
smadet
heanode
-Pur
ecopperi
smadet
hecat
hode
-Theel
ect
rol
ytei
sasol
uti
onofcoppersal
tegcopper
I
Isul
phat
eetc

ANODEREACTI
ON
Thecoppert
obepur
if
iedi
susedatt
heanode.
Theanodel osesmass(reducesi
nsize)becauset
he
copperatomsl oseel
ect
ronsandbecomecopperi ons,
ther
efor
et heimpuri
ti
esfall
tothebott
om ofthecell
.
Anodedissolves.
 CATHODEREACTI
ON
Thecopperi
onsar
edi
schar
gedher
e.

ELECTROPLATI
NG
El
ect
ropl
ati
ngthepr
ocessofcoat
ingamet
alwi
tht
he
ot
hermetalusi
ngel
ect
rol
ysi
s.

I
mpor
tant
:
-Themet
alel
ect
ropl
atedi
smadet
hecat
hode
-Themet
alusedf
orel
ect
ropl
ati
ngi
smadet
heanode
-Theel
ect
rol
ytei
sasal
tsol
uti
onoft
hemet
alusedf
or
 el
ect
ropl
ati
ng
Exampl
e:
El
ect
ropl
ati
ngaspat
ulawi
thcopper
-Thespat
ulai
smadet
hecat
hode
-Copperi
smadet
heanode
-Theel
ectr
oly
teshoul
dbeacoppersal
te.
gCuSO4,
CuCl
2e.t
.c

Di
agr
am(
QUARTERAPAGE)

CATHODEREACTI
ON

ANODEREACTI
ON
 USESOFELECTROPLATI
NG

-Topr
otectagai
nstcor
rosi
on
-Toi
mpr
oveappear
ance

USESOFELECTROLYSI
S

-Ext
ract
ionofr
eact
ivemet
als
-El
ect
ropl
ati
ng
-Pur
if
icat
ionofmet
als
-Manuf
act
ureofchemi
cal
se.
gNaOH
ELECTROLYSI
SCALCULATI
ONS