Investigating Factors Relating to Electrolysis: Electroplating

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Electroplating occurs in an electrolytic cell. Two metal electrodes are connected to an energy source and these electrodes are immersed in an aqueous solution, an electrolyte. The electrolyte allows for the transfer of electrons from one electrode to the other. Oxidation occurs at the positive electrode (anode) and reduction occurs at the negative electrode (cathode). With copper electrodes and copper sulfate as an electrolyte, electrons are lost at the anode and gained at the cathode (Nuffield Foundation,2012) . Thus the copper anode would lose weight while the copper cathode would gain weight. The half-reactions for the redox reactions of copper in an electrolytic cell are as follows: Cathode: Cu2+ (aq) + 2e- Cu (s) Anode: Cu (s) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e- Source (TutorVista, 2012) Research Question How do different voltages affect the loss of copper on the anode during in an electrolytic cell? Hypothesis It is predicted that the relationship between voltage and the mass of copper lost will be directly proportional- that is, the higher the voltage used on the electrolytic cell, the more copper to be taken from the anode and deposited at the cathode. This is due to an increase of current when voltage is increased which can be verified through Ohms law were I=R/V where I is the current in amperes, r is the resistance is v is the voltage/potential difference (Ohms Law, 2008). A high current will move the ions from the anode, through the electrolyte solution, and finally to the cathode at a higher rate than a low current would. Variables Table 1: Variables Independent Variable Dependent Variable Controlled Variables Voltage On Battery Source Mass of the copper anode Amount of Time (5 Minutes) Type of cathode (copper) Type of anode (copper) Surrounding Temperature Molarity of Electrolyte- Copper Sulfate (1 Molar) Volume

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