ELECTROLYTES
• Electrolytes are molten or aqueous ionic compounds that conduct electricity.
• Electrolytes conduct electricity because they contain positive and negative ions that can move
freely throughout the liquid or solution.
Solid ionic compounds do not conduct electricity. Why?
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When an electric current flows through an electrolyte, the compound is decomposed in a
chemical reaction. This is called electrolysis.
The diagram below shows the flow of electrons to and from the battery in an electrolytic cell.
ELECTROLYSIS OF MOLTEN IONIC COMPOUNDS
When a molten ionic compound is electrolysed, -the positive cations go to the
_______________and are discharge by ______________ electrons to become
_________________________.
-the negative anions go to the ________________ and are discharge by _____________
electrons to become neutral _____________________________.
-the ionic compound is decomposed into its _________________________.
Example 1: Electrolysis of molten potassium iodide.
a) What ions are present? _______________
b) Which one will move towards the cathode? __________________.
c) Which one will move towards the anode? ____________________.
d) Write the anode half equation. _______________________________________
e) Write the cathode half equation. _______________________________________
f) Write the overall redox reaction. ______________________________________
Example 2: Electrolysis of molten sodium chloride
a) What ions are present? _______________
b) Which one will move towards the cathode? __________________.
c) Which one will move towards the anode? ____________________.
d) Write the anode half equation. ________________________________________
e) Write the cathode half equation. _______________________________________
f) Write the overall redox reaction. _______________________________________
(g) Why is it important to keep on heating the crucible throughout the electrolysis?
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h) When these ions react this is called “discharging the ions”. Why?
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ELECTROLYSIS OF AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
There are 2 major differences here. The temperature is room temperature and there is water
in the reaction.
A small number of water molecules ionise:
H2O(l) H+(aq) + OH-(aq)
So all aqueous solutions have small concentration of H+ and OH- ions.
• In electrolysis, when more than one type of cation or anion is present in a solution, only
ONE cation and one anion are preferentially discharged. This is called selective discharge
of ions.
• How do you decide which ion is discharged? It depends on three factors
1. The position of the metal (producing the cation) in the reactivity series.
2. The relative ease of discharge of an anion.
3. The concentration of the anion in the electrolyte. When a halide ion (Cl-, Br- and I-) is
concentrated, it is discharged instead of OH- ions.
The ease of discharge of cations and anions is shown below.
Example 1: Electrolysis of dilute sodium chloride solution
(a) In dilute NaCl (aq)
– What cations are present? _______________________
- What anions are present? ________________________
(b) Using the reactivity series of metal and the relative ease of discharge of anion:
- Which cation is reduced? ___________________________________
- Which anion is oxidised? ___________________________________
-Write the anode half equation.
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-Write the cathode half equation. _______________________________________________
- Write the overall redox reaction. ______________________________________________
Example 2: Electrolysis of concentrated sodium chloride solution
(c) In concentrated NaCl(aq)
– What cations are present? _______________________
- What anions are present? ________________________
(d) Using the reactivity series of metal and the concentration of anion:
- Which cation is reduced? ___________________________________
- Which anion is oxidised? ___________________________________
-Write the anode half equation.
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-Write the cathode half equation. _______________________________________________
- Write the overall redox reaction. ______________________________________________
(e) Why is sodium hydroxide formed in this electrolysis?
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Example 3: Electrolysis of copper(II) sulfate solution using carbon electrodes
(a) In CuSO4(aq)
– What cations are present? _______________________
- What anions are present? ________________________
(b) Using the reactivity series of metal and the relative ease of discharge of anion:
- Which cation is reduced? ___________________________________
- Which anion is oxidised? ___________________________________
-Write the anode half equation. ________________________________________________
-Write the cathode half equation. _______________________________________________
- Write the overall redox reaction. ______________________________________________
- What will be observed during this reaction?
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- Explain what happens to the electrolyte.
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ELECTROLYSIS WITH REACTIVE ELECTRODES
Electrodes can be inert. These do not react, they are just conductors of electricity to transfer
electrons. E.g. platinum and graphite (carbon)
Other electrodes can be reactive and be oxidized and are made from most of the other metals.
These electrodes are oxidised before anions.
Example: Electrolysis of copper(II) sulfate solution using copper electrodes.
(c) In CuSO4(aq)
– What cations are present? _______________________
- What anions are present? ________________________
(d) Using the reactivity series of metal and the relative ease of discharge of anion:
- Which cation is reduced? ___________________________________
- Which anion is oxidised? ___________________________________
-Write the anode half equation. ________________________________________________
-Write the cathode half equation. _______________________________________________
- Write the overall redox reaction. ______________________________________________
- What will be observed during this reaction?
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- Explain what happens to the electrolyte.
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Note that in this electrolysis, the anode is not inert so it the metal anode which becomes
oxidised instead of the anion.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF ELECTROLYSIS
1. Manufacture of Sodium hydroxide, chlorine and hydrogen gas.
o The favoured method is the membrane cell because it has no hazardous waste and
has low energy requirements.
o Ion exchange membrane selectively allows Na+ ions and water to flow to the
cathode compartment but does not allow products to mix.
o Saturated sodium chloride solution (brine) enters the anode compartment where
chlorine gas is formed:
2Cl- → Cl2(g) + 2e-
o At the cathode hydrogen is formed:
2H+ + 2e- → H2(g)
o More water ionises to replace removed hydrogen ions, so the concentration of OH-
ions increases:
H2O(l) → H+(aq) + OH-(aq)
o Na+ ions migrate to the cathode compartment combining with OH- to form NaOH
o Overall cell reaction is:
2H2O(l) + 2NaCl(aq) → 2NaOH(aq) + H2 + Cl2(g)
o There are three useful products: sodium hydroxide, hydrogen and chlorine
Uses of the products:
Sodium hydroxide Hydrogen Chlorine
making soap making ammonia making solvents e.g.
extraction of aluminium making margarine chloroform
as fuel treating water
making bleaches
2. Electroplating
Electroplating is coating an object with a metal by electrolysis.
The object is the cathode.
The metal to be plated is the anode.
The electrolyte is a solution of the metal ions to be plated.
During electroplating, metal from the anode dissolves in the electrolyte as metal ions.
These ions go to the cathode where they are discharged onto the object as a layer of
metal.
An example of electroplating copper is shown in the diagram below.
Electroplating is done for two main reasons:
To prevent corrosion e.g. rusting
To improve appearance.
3. Purifying (Refining) of metals • Similar to plating but the impure metal is the anode so it is
oxidised and then reduced to a pure metal. • This electrolysis is used to refine copper (see
diagram) 9-Write the anode half equation.
_________________________________________________ -Write the cathode half
equation. _______________________________________________ - Write the overall
redox reaction. _______________________________________________
4. Extraction of metals from their ores • Metals can be extracted from their ores by electrolysis.
Electricity is expensive, so electrolysis is only used to extract very reactive metals such as
sodium, calcium and aluminium. • These metals, ‘high up’ in the reactivity series, cannot be
extracted by other methods. • Pure Al2O3 is extracted from bauxite. Al2O3 has a very high
melting point (>2000°C) so it is added to molten cryolite (Na3AlF6) which dissolves the
Al2O3 at about 950°C. The mixture is now electrolysed using carbon electrodes. Why is it
an advantage to use a lower melting point to extract Al?
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