Electrolysis is a chemical process that uses an electric current to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction. It is widely applied in various industrial and scientific processes, such as the extraction and purification of metals, electroplating, and water splitting.
Electrolysis involves passing an electric current through an electrolyte (a substance containing free ions) to cause a chemical change. The process occurs in an electrolytic cell, which consists of two electrodes: the cathode (negative) and the anode (positive). The electrolyte facilitates the movement of ions, enabling the reaction.
The key principle of electrolysis is the flow of electric current, which causes:
Example: Electrolysis of water:
Advantages:
Limitations:
Electrolysis is a versatile and powerful technique with extensive applications in modern industries and scientific research. Understanding its principles and components allows for innovations in energy, manufacturing, and material sciences.
The electrolysis process is an electrochemical process in which current flows from one electrode to another. That, too, is in an ionised solution, which is an electrolyte. Ions that are positive, or cations, flow to the negative electrode or cathode, and ions that are negative, or anions, flow to the positive electrode, or anode.
An electrolytic cell with two electrodes known as the cathode, or negatively charged electrode, and anode, or positively charged electrode, an electrolytic solution of dissolved ions (called electrolytes) to conduct electricity between them, and a source of electrical energy are required to perform electrolysis.
Electrolysis applications include: