The electrode through which the electrons enter the electrolytic solution is

see full answer

Your Exam Success, Personally Taken Care Of

1:1 expert mentors customize learning to your strength and weaknesses – so you score higher in school , IIT JEE and NEET entrance exams.

An Intiative by Sri Chaitanya

cathode

anode

may be anode or cathode

neither anode nor cathode

answer is A.

(Unlock A.I Detailed Solution for FREE)

JEE

NEET

Foundation JEE

Foundation NEET

CBSE

Detailed Solution

Anode and cathode are Greek nouns that imply "entry" and "exit," respectively.
But what, and where, is the entry or exit? Due to historical considerations, entry or exit refers to positive charges entering or leaving an electrochemical cell, regardless of whether it is a galvanic cell (aka battery) or an electrolytic cell. Let's use an anode as an example.
It is the site of an oxidative half-reaction that makes electrons accessible.
As a result, these electrons (negative charges) leave the cell, allowing positive charges to enter (anode = positive charge entry).
As a result, regardless of the kind of cell, the cathode is the electrode where electrons "enter the electrolytic solution" (and positive charges leave the solution).
In reality, electrons do not "enter the electrolytic system." solution" but are made accessible to some species at the cathode-solution interface to allow a reductive half-reaction to occur.
Hence the correct answer is A) cathode

Watch 3-min video & get full concept clarity