ELECTROCHEMISTRY

CHAPTER 6
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• TBAT describe the key terms and process of electrolysis and
explain the charge transfer in electrolysis
• Identify the products formed at the electrodes and describe the
observations made during the electrolysis
 ELECTROLYSIS
• When an electric current is passed through a molten/aqueous
solution of an ionic compound the compound decomposes or breaks
down
• Covalent compounds cannot conduct electricity hence they do not
undergo electrolysis
• Ionic compounds in the solid state cannot conduct electricity either
since they have no free ions that can move and carry the charge
 KEY TERMS
• Electrode is a rod of metal or graphite through which an electric current flows
into or out of an electrolyte
• Electrolyte is the ionic compound in a molten or dissolved solution that
conducts the electricity
• Anode is the positive electrode of an electrolysis cell
• Anion is a negatively charged ion which is attracted to the anode
• Cathode is the negative electrode of an electrolysis cell
• Cation is a positively charged ion which is attracted to the cathode
EXPLAIN THE IMAGE
ALONGSIDE
 ELECTROLYSIS
• Metals and hydrogen form positively charged ions and so either
a metal or hydrogen gas is formed at the cathode
• Non-metals form negatively charged ions and so non-metals (except
hydrogen) are formed at the anode
• Use the PANIC mnemonic to remember Positive (is) Anode Negative Is
Cathode
CHARGE TRANSFER IN ELECTROLYSIS

LOOK AT THE IMAGE

AND ANALYSE THE
CHARGE TRANSFER IN
ELECTROLYSIS
 CHARGE TRANSFER IN ELECTROLYSIS
• The power supply provides the cathode with a supply of electrons, causing it to
become negatively charged
• Positive ions (cations) in the electrolyte move towards the cathode where
they gain electrons
• Negative ions (anions) in the electrolyte move towards the anode where
they lose electrons
• The electrons move from the anode back towards the power supply
• So, in a complete circuit, Electrons are the charge carriers in the external circuit
and Ions are the charge carriers in the electrolyte
 ELECTROLYSIS OF MOLTEN
COMPOUNDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAEm-kJ_QkU
• When ionic compounds undergo electrolysis they produce their corresponding
elements
• To predict the products made at each electrode, first identify the ions
• The positive ion will migrate towards the cathode and the negative ion will
migrate towards the anode
• Therefore, the cathode product will always be the metal, and the product
formed at the anode will always be the non-metal
ELECTROLYSIS OF
MOLTEN LEAD BROMIDE
 ELECTROLYSIS OF MOLTEN LEAD
BROMIDE
• Add lead(II) bromide into a beaker and heat it so it will turn molten, allowing ions to be
free to move and conduct an electric charge
• Add two graphite rods as the electrodes and connect this to a power pack or battery
• Turn on the battery and allow electrolysis to take place
• Negative bromide ions move to the positive electrode (anode) and each loses one
electron to form bromine molecules. There is bubbling at the anode as brown bromine
gas is given off
• Positive lead ions move to the negative electrode (cathode) and gain electrons to form
a grey lead metal which deposits on the surface of the electrode
 PROGRESS CHECK
• Identify the product formed at the anode and cathode during the electrolysis of
molten potassium chloride.
• Answer:
The ions present are potassium (K+) and chloride (Cl-)
The chloride ions are attracted to the anode and form chlorine gas
The potassium ions are attracted to the cathode and form potassium metal
• Electrodes need to be inert such as graphite or platinum so that they don’t
participate in a side reaction with the electrolyte.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
• TBAT Explain the product of electrolysis of Aqueous sodium
Chloride and Dilute sulphuric Acid and Analyse the difference
between products of Electrolysis of Concentrated and Dilute
Solutions
 SUCCESS CRITERIA
• All will be able to name the products of electrolysis of Aqueous
sodium Chloride and Dilute sulphuric Acid
• Most will be able to describe the process of electrolysis of
concentrated and aqueous solutions
• Some will be able to Analyse the difference between products of
Electrolysis of Concentrated and Dilute Solutions
 ELECTROLYSIS OF AQUEOUS SODIUM
CHLORIDE
• Brine is a concentrated solution of aqueous sodium chloride
• It can be electrolyzed using inert electrodes made from platinum or carbon / graphite
• The ions in brine are: Na+ and Cl– ions from the brine / aqueous sodium chloride
and H+ and OH– ions from the water
• When electrolyzed, it produces bubbles of gas at both electrodes
• The gases chlorine and hydrogen are produced
• Sodium hydroxide solution is the product remaining in the electrolysis chamber /
container
 PRODUCTS OF ELECTROLYSIS OF
AQUEOUS SODIUM CHLORIDE
• Product at the negative electrode:
The H+ ions are discharged at the cathode as they are less reactive than sodium ions
The H+ ions gain electrons to form hydrogen gas
• Product at the positive electrode:
The Cl– ions are discharged at the anode
They lose electrons and chlorine gas forms
The Na+ and OH– ions remain behind and form the NaOH solution
 ELECTROLYSIS OF DILUTE SULPHURIC
ACID
• Dilute sulfuric acid can be electrolyzed using inert electrodes made from
platinum or carbon / graphite
• The ions in dilute sulfuric acid are:
• H+ and SO42– ions from the sulfuric acid and H+ and OH– ions from the water
• When electrolyzed, it produces bubbles of gas at both electrodes of oxygen and
hydrogen gas
 PRODUCTS OF ELECTROLYSIS OF
DILUTE SULPHURIC ACID
• Product at the negative electrode:
• H+ ions are attracted to the cathode and The H+ ions gain electrons to
form hydrogen gas
• Product at the positive electrode:
• OH- ions are attracted to the anode and they lose electrons and
form oxygen gas and water
 TEST FOR GASES
• Oxygen - if a glowing splint is dipped into a sample of the gas, then the
splint will relight
• Hydrogen - if a lit splint is dipped into a sample of the gas, then a
squaeky pop will be heard
• Chlorine - if damp litmus paper is dipped into a sample of the gas, it will
turn red and then bleach to a white colour
 Electrolysis of aqueous solutions
• Aqueous solutions always have water, H2O, present
• In the electrolysis of aqueous solutions, the water molecules dissociate producing
H+ and OH– ions:
• H2O ⇌ H+ + OH–
• We now have an electrolyte that contains ions from the compound plus ions from
the water
• Which ions get discharged and at which electrode depends on the relative
reactivity of the elements involved
 Electrolysis of Concentrated and Dilute
Solutions
• Positive electrode - anode
• Negatively charged OH– ions and non-metal ions are attracted to the positive
electrode
• If halide ions (Cl–, Br–, I–) are present, the halogen is produced at the anode
(Halide ions lose electrons to form halogen atom)
• If there are no halide ions but OH– ions are present, oxygen is produced at the
anode (Hydroxide ions lose electrons to form oxygen gas)
• In both cases, the other negative ion remains in solution
 How concentration affects the products at the
anode
• The concentration of the solution affects the ion being discharged
• If a concentrated halide solution is being electrolysed,
the halogen forms at the anode
• If a dilute halide solution is being electrolysed, oxygen forms at the
anode
Effect of Concentration on Electrolysis
• Eg For concentrated barium chloride solution :
Cl– ions are discharged more readily than the OH– ions so chlorine
gas is produced at the anode
• For dilute barium chloride solution:
• Only OH– ions are discharged and oxygen is produced at the anode
 Products at Negative Electrode (Cathode)
• Positively charged H+ and metal ions are attracted to the negative electrode but
only one will gain electrons- hydrogen gas or metal will be produced
• If the metal is above hydrogen in the reactivity series- The less reactive
hydrogen ions, H+, to be discharged. So, hydrogen will be produced and bubbling
will be seen at the cathode
• If the metal is below hydrogen in the reactivity series:
The less reactive metal ions are discharged metal is produced and this will be seen
plating onto the cathode
THE REACTIVITY SERIES
 Learning Objective
• TBAT describe the electrolysis of aqueous copper sulphate using inert electrodes and
copper electrodes
• Success criteria
• All will be able to name the products obtain during electrolysis of aqueous copper
sulphate solution using inert electrodes
• Most will be able to explain the changes taking place during the electrolysis of copper
sulphate using copper electrodes
• Some will be able to write ionic equations related to electrolysis
 ELECTROLYSIS OF AQUEOUS COPPER
SULPHATE
• Aqueous copper sulfate contains the following ions:
• Cu2+ and SO42– from the copper sulfate and H+ and OH– from the water
 PRODUCT AT CATHODE
• Cu2+ and H+ will both be attracted to the cathode but the less reactive ion
will be discharged
• In this case, copper is less reactive than hydrogen
• Copper ions are discharged at the cathode
• They gain electrons and are reduced to form copper metal
• The half equation for the reaction at the electrode is:
• Cu2+ + 2e– → Cu
 PRODUCT AT ANODE

• SO42– and OH– are both attracted to the anode

• OH– lose electrons more readily and are oxidised to form oxygen gas
• The half equation for the reaction at the anode is
• 4OH– ⟶ O2 + 2H2O + 4e–
ELECTROLYSIS USING COPPER
ELECTRODES
OBSERVATIONS DURING ELECTROLYSIS
USING COPPER ELECTRODES
• The anode decreases in mass as the copper atoms are oxidised at the anode
and form copper ions, Cu2+
• The cathode increases in mass as the copper ions, Cu2+, are reduced at the
cathode and form copper atoms
• The gain in mass by the negative electrode is the same as the loss in mass by the
positive electrode. Hence the copper deposited on the negative electrode must
be the same copper ions that are lost from the positive electrode
• This implies that the concentration of the Cu2+ ions in the solution
remains constant
TASK- COMPLETE THE TABLE
 PRODUCTS FORMED DURING
ELECTROLYSIS(SELF ASSESSMENT)
 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
• TBAT Construct ionic half-equations for reactions at the anode (to show
oxidation) and at the cathode (to show reduction)
• TBAT Describe Applications of Electrolysis
 STARTER
• Write three statements about transfer of electrons during Electrolysis process.

• Electrochemistry is concerned with the transfer of electrons hence we define

oxidation and reduction in terms of losing or gaining electrons
• Oxidation is the loss of electrons and Reduction is the gain of electrons (OILRIG)
• As the ions come into contact with the electrode:
• Electrons are lost or gained and the ions form neutral substances
 Ionic Half Equations
• At the anode, negatively charged ions lose electrons hence oxidation occurs at the
anode
• At the cathode, the positively charged ions gain electrons hence reduction occurs at
the cathode
• Ionic half-equations only show half of reaction involving electron transfer
• The ionic half-equation for oxidation shows the loss of electrons
• The ionic half-equation for reduction shows the gain of electrons
• Ionic half-equations must have the atoms and charges balanced
 TASK-1
• Describe keypoints related to ionic half equations
 Writing ionic half Equations
Metals are positive ions, e.g. Li+, Cu2+, Al3+
• If a metal is produced during electrolysis:
• The metal ions will gain electrons (get reduced) to form metal atoms
• The charge on the metal ion indicates the number of electrons that will be gained
• Li+ + e– → Li
• Cu2+ + 2e– → Cu
• Al3+ + 3e– → Al
 Writing half equations for hydrogen
• Hydrogen ion / hydrogen half-equation:
• If hydrogen is formed during electrolysis:
• Two hydrogen ions will gain 2 electrons to form hydrogen, H2
• Hydrogen ions are reduced
• 2H+ + 2e– → H2
 Writing half Equation
• Halide ion / halogen half-equation:
• If a halogen is formed during electrolysis:
• Two halide ions will lose 2 electrons to form the halogen
• Halide ions are oxidised
• 2X– → X2 + 2e–
 Writing half Equations
• Hydroxide ion / oxygen half-equation:

• Hydroxide ions lose electrons to form oxygen, O2, and water, H2O
• Hydroxide ions are oxidised
• 4OH– → O2 + 2H2O + 4e–
Complete the following table
Review
 Applications of Electrolysis
• Electroplating is a process where the surface of one metal is coated with
a layer of a different metal using Electrolysis
• The cathode / negative electrode is the object to be electroplated
• The anode / positive electrode is made from the pure metal that will be
plated onto the object
• The electrolyte is an aqueous solution of a soluble salt of the pure metal
at the anode
Electroplating of Iron with Tin
Explain the image seen
alongside
 Electroplating
• At the anode:
Tin atoms lose electrons to form tin ions in solution and oxidation takes place
• At the cathode:
Tin ions gain electrons to form tin atoms and reduction takes place
The tin atoms are deposited on the strip of iron metal, coating it with a layer of
tin
• At the anode: Sn (s) → Sn2+ (aq) + 2e-
• At the cathode: Sn2+ (aq) + 2e- → Sn (s)
 ELECTROPLATING-TASK 2
• Comment on other Uses of Electroplating.

• Used to make metals more resistant to corrosion or damage

• e.g. chromium and nickel plating galvanizing - zinc plating / coating,
typically done to iron and steel
• to improve the appearance of metals, coating cutlery and jewellery with
silver
 Hydrogen-Oxygen fuel Cell
• A fuel is a substance which releases energy when burned
• A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell in which a fuel donates electrons at one
electrode and oxygen gains electrons at the other electrode
• H2 → 2H+ + 2e– and O2 + 4e– → 2O2–
• The hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell produces electricity by combining Hydrogen and
Oxygen, releasing energy and water
• The overall equation for the cell is: Hydrogen + Oxygen → Water
• 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O
 HYDROGEN-OXYGEN FUEL CELL
• The diagram shows the setup of a
hydrogen fuel cell
• The air entering provides the
oxygen
• The fuel entering is hydrogen
• The only chemical product made
is water
 ADVANTAGES (COMPARISION TO
PETROL ENGINE)
• Hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells are becoming more common in the automotive
industry to replace petrol or diesel engines
• Hydrogen can be produced from water so the process is renewable
• They do not produce any pollution: the only product is water whereas petrol
engines produce carbon dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen
• They release more energy per kilogram than either petrol or diesel
• No power is lost in transmission as there are no moving parts, unlike an internal
combustion engine
• Quieter so less noise pollution compared to a petrol engine
 DISADVANTAGES (COMPARISION TO
PETROL ENGINE)
• Hydrogen obtained by methods that involve:
The combustion of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the
atmosphere and requires large amounts of electricity to produce
• Materials used in producing fuel cells are expensive
• Hydrogen is more difficult and expensive to store compared to petrol as it is very
flammable and easily explodes when under pressure
• There are only a small number of hydrogen filling stations across the country
 Plenary
• Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of Hydrogen-
Oxygen fuel cell (in comparison to petrol engine in vehicles)