Electrolysis Essay

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Eleytrolysis experiments Electrolysis is a process in which electrical energy is brought up to initiate a non-spontaneous redox reaction. The process is done by passing electrical current through liquid named electrolyte (it contains ions). The ions move to electrodes. One of the electrodes is called anode and it is positive. It is named anode because anions are attracted to it. On the other side, second electrode is called cathode. It is negative and cathions are attracted to it. The movement of electrons is toward negative electrode cathode and here as well, as in voltaic cell, have reduction at cathode and oxidation at anode. Copper (II) sulphate solution CATHODE: Cu2+ (aq) + 2e- Cu (s) ANODE: 4OH- (aq) → 2H2O (l) + O2 (g) + 4e- 2CuSO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l) → 2Cu (s) + 2H2SO4 (aq) + O2 (g) During electrolysis of copper (II) sulphate the oxygen gas is evolved at the positive electrode named anode. Why are oxygen ions attracted and not sulphate ions? It is because oxygen gas has higher standard reduction potential than sulphate ions. That is why we can see bubbles being evolved at the anode, and with time, elementary copper at the cathode. The same situations is when we have copper and graphite electrodes. Sodium chloride solution 2H2O + 2e- => H2 + 2OH- (sodium metal at the (-)cathode). 2Cl- - 2e- Cl2 (chlorine gas at the (+)anode). 2NaCl(aq) + 2H2O(l) => H2(g) + Cl2(g) + 2NaOH(aq) In sodium chloride solution, chloride ions are attracted to the positive electrode anode because of the negative charge on the chloride ions. Although we may expect that sodium is attracted to the cathode, that is not the case because hydrogen has a higher standard reduction potential and hydrogen gas is evolved on the cathode. We added phenolphthalein close to the cathode and we saw purple color due to the OH- ions (alkaline)

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