A PRESENTATION BY GROUP 3
❖ What is Electrolysis?
❖ Electrolytic process.
❖ Factors affecting electrolysis.
❖ Faraday’s law of electrolysis.
❖ Industrial application of electrolysis.
WHAT IS ELECTROLYSIS?
Electrolysis;
● It is the chemical decomposition that is produced by
passing an electric current through a liquid or a
solution containing ions.
● It means ‘breakdown via electricity’.
● The voltage needed for electrolysis to occur is the
‘decomposition potential’
● The substance that is decomposed is called the
‘electrolyte’.
CONT;
● Electricity is carried through the electrolyte by
ions.
● The current enters and leaves the electrolyte
through electrodes are made of unreactive
metals, such as platinum or graphite; a
non-metal carbon.
● Hydrogen or metals are formed at the cathode
and non-metals are formed at the anode.
Anodising;
● It is an electrolytic process in which the surface coating of
oxide on aluminium is made thicker.
● During this process, oxygen is produced at the anode and
combines with the aluminium.
● The oxide layer on the surface of aluminium therefore
increases.
● Dyes can be mixed with the electrolyte and so the new coating
of oxide is thicker, colourful and decorative.
Electrolytic Process
In the process of electrolysis, there is an interchange of ions and
atoms due to the addition or removal of electrons from the external
circuit. Basically, on passing current, cations move to the cathode, take
electrons from the cathode (given by the supply source battery), and
are discharged into the neutral atom. The neutral atom, if solid, is
deposited on the cathode and, if gas, moves upwards. This is a
reduction process, and the cation is reduced at the cathode.
Factors affecting electrolysis.
The factors that may affect electrolysis are listed below:
i) The nature of the electrode
ii) Nature and state of the electrolyte
iii) Nature and electrode potential of ions present in the electrolyte
iv) Overvoltage at the electrodes.
Faraday’s law of electrolysis.
The amount of the redox reaction depends on the quantity of electricity flowing through the
cell. The amount of reaction or the number of ions discharged is given by Faraday’s law of
electrolysis. There are two laws: Faraday’s first law and second law.
Faraday’s first law can be summarised as follows:
. Here, m is the mass of the substance that has undergone change, E is the equivalent mass of the
substance, ‘I’ is the current and ”t is the time in seconds of the passing of current.
Faraday’s second law compares the mass of different substances undergoing a change for
the same current.
According to the second law,
Here, M and E are the changed mass and equivalent mass of the substances, respectively.
Faraday’s second law compares the mass of different substances
undergoing a change for the same current.
According to the second law,
Here, M and E are the changed mass and equivalent mass of the
substances, respectively.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF ELECTROLYSIS.
.Electrolysis can be used to extract metal from its ore.
This process is used for metal ores containing metals
such as aluminium and sodium. Also, electrolysis can be
used to refine metals such as copper.Examples of
products produced by electrolysis are soaps, textiles,
pharmaceuticals, plastics
Extraction of metals. Purification of metals. Electrolytic reduction
of metals from their compounds
Electroplating
An object can be coated to the required thickness with a select metal by
electrolysis. The object to be coated is made of the cathode. An aqueous
solution of the metal salt to be coated is the electrolyte. The same metal or any
inert metal can be the anode. In electrolysis, metal ion from the electrolyte
deposit on the object. The loss of metal ions in the solution will be compensated
if the same metal made the anode.
The deposition can be used to protect the metal from corrosion for making
ornaments, etc. Coating iron with metals like zinc, lead, chromium, and nickel
improves the corrosion resistance of iron. Gold and silver coating on cheaper
