CHAPTER:14 CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

Structure of atom and electric charges:

a. All matter is made up of atoms, which are electrically neutral. However, atoms are made up of
charged particles like electrons (negative charges) and protons (positive charges) and neutral particles
like neutrons.
b. In an atom the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons. This makes the atom
electrically neutral.
c. The protons and neutrons are held very firmly in the nucleus of an atom. They cannot be
removed from an atom under ordinary conditions. Electrons are assumed to revolve around the nucleus
in definite orbits. Electrons of the outermost shell of certain atoms are held loosely. They can move from
one atom to another.
d. An atom that loses electrons has more positive charges (protons) than negative charges
(electrons). Such an atom is positively charged. A charged atom is called an ion. A positively charged ion
is called cation.
e. When an atom loses electrons, some other atom gains these electrons. An atom that gains
electrons has excess negative charge. A negatively charged ion is called anion.
f. Due to imbalance in positive and negative charges, an object acquires static charges. These charges
can build up on the surface of an object until they find a way to released or discharged.

ELECTRIC CURRENT: Flow of electric charges per unit time.

It is denoted by ‘I’.

Its SI unit is Ampere (A).

Electric current = Electric charge/ time

If ‘Q’ amount of charge flows through a conductor in time ‘t’, then,

I = Q/t

Basically, to conduct electric current free charges are required.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY: It is the measure of a material's ability to allow the flow of electric charge.

Good conductors have higher electrical conductivity as compared to poor conductors.

Insulators are substances that do not allow electric charges to flow through them easily. Pure water and
air are examples of insulators of electricity.
NOTE:

● In solids, like metals, conduction takes place due to presence of electrons.

● In electrolytes, conduction takes place due to the presence of cations and anions which are free
to move under the influence of electric field.
● Liquids that do not undergo ionization do not conduct electricity. Example: Distilled water

Q: Why is pure water (distilled water) a poor conductor of electricity?

Ans: Pure water is a poor conductor of electricity as it is a covalent compound. Water doesn’t form
enough ions to conduct electricity but when some acid, salt or base is dissolved in it, it becomes a
conducting liquid.

Q: Explain why a person is more likely to get an electric shock on touching an electric switch with wet
hands than with dry hands.

Ans: Tap water contains a lot of impurities (ions) which act as charge carriers and makes it a good
conductor of electricity. Therefore, wet skin has higher conductivity than dry skin.

NOTE: Conduction is possible only in those liquids which undergo dissociation into oppositely charged
ions which are free to move under the influence of electric field. Such liquids are called electrolytes.

Solutions of many inorganic compounds like common salt, sulphuric acid sodium hydroxide are
examples of these kinds of liquids.

Terms related to the Liquid CONDUCTORS:

Electrolyte: - An electrolyte is a compound that undergoes dissociation or ionization in aqueous solution

or molten state and conducts electricity.

Electrolysis: - The process of passing electricity through an electrolyte solution in order to stimulate the
flow of ions which finally leads to a chemical reaction.

Ionization: The process of formation of ions.

Electrodes: The two conducting rods that are connected to the two terminals of the battery through
conducting wires and are immersed in a liquid (conducting) are called electrodes.

In electrolytic cells, there are two types of electrodes. These are-

1) Anode - Conducting rod connected to the positive terminal of the battery.

2) Cathode- Conducting rod connected to the negative terminal of the battery.
EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

There are three effects of electric current:

1. Heating effect of electric current

2. Magnetic effect of electric current
3. Chemical effect of electric current

1. Heating effect of electric current: When an electric current is passed through a conductor, heat is
produced.

Example: Filament of the bulb, heating devices based on heating effect like electric iron, electric toaster,
geyser etc.

TESTER CIRCUIT BASED ON HEATING EFFECT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

If the liquid between the two ends of the battery is an electrolyte and conducts electric current then the
bulb in the tester circuit glows. The bulb glows due to the heating effect of current.

If the electrolyte is a non-electrolyte or an insulator, the circuit will not be completed and the bulb will
not glow.

Q. Sometimes the liquid taken between the two ends of a tester circuit is an electrolyte, yet the bulb
does not glow. Assuming that the tester circuit is functioning properly. Explain the observation.

If the current is too weak, the filament will not get heated sufficiently and thus, the bulb will not glow.
As a result, the circuit of the tester may be completed yet current through it may be too weak, to make
the bulb glow. The following could be the possible reasons for weak current:--

 The electrolyte is a weak electrolyte and produces less number of ions.

 The source or the current supply is weak.

Q. What are LEDs ?

LEDs are light emitting diodes made up of semiconductors like germanium and silicon. LEDs are used in
place of filament bulbs as they work on very low potential or current.
TESTER CIRCUIT USING AN LED IN PLACE OF AN ELECTRIC BULB

Q. Differentiate between LED and a filament bulb.

FILAMENT BULB LED

It works on the heating effect of current. It does not work on the heating
effect of current.

Filament bulbs have two terminals but these are not classified LEDs have a positive and a negative
as positive or negative. terminal.

They have a shorter life span. They have a longer life span.

Q. Prarthana set up an experiment using Liquid A in the beaker as shown. She observed that the bulb
glows. Then she replaced Liquid A with Liquid B. This time, the bulb did not glow. Akshaj suggested
replacing the bulb with an LED. They observed that the LED started glowing. Explain.

Ans- Liquid A was a strong electrolyte and hence a good conductor of electricity. Thus, the electric
current in the circuit was strong enough to make the bulb glow. Liquid B was a weak electrolyte and
even though it was a conductor, the current in the circuit was not strong enough to make the bulb glow.
However, it could make the LED glow as LEDs work even when the current in the circuit is low.

2. Magnetic effect of electric current: A current carrying conductor produces a magnetic field around it.
Example: Electromagnet.
TESTER CIRCUIT BASED ON MAGNETIC EFFECT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

If a magnetic compass is placed near a current carrying conductor, the magnetic field produced due to
current carrying conductor causes deflection of the needle of the magnetic compass. Even a small
amount of current can deflect the needle of the magnetic compass.

3. Chemical effect of electric current

When electric current is passed through an electrolyte (solution of acids, bases or salts),it conducts
electricity or behaves as a conductor. This is due to ionization of the electrolyte into anions and cations
which are free to move and produces chemical changes in the solution like:-

 Evolution of gas
 Evolution of heat
 Change in colour
 Deposition of metal at cathode or eating away of anode

The products of electrolysis depend on the electrolyte used as well as the nature of the electrodes used.

APPLICATIONS OF CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

1.Electrolysis

This refers to breaking up of a compound on passing electric current. The compound should be a liquid
or in an aqueous state.
Electrolysis of Water
Electrodes used- Graphite(carbon rod) or Platinum rods
Electrolyte - Water containing few drops of sulphuric acid.
Chemical change observed- Evolution of gases
-Hydrogen gas is evolved at cathode
-Oxygen gas is evolved at the anode.

2. Electroplating
The process of depositing a thin layer of a desired metal over a metal object with the help of
electric current (only Direct Current) is called electroplating.
Electroplating an iron object with copper metal:

1. The iron object to be electroplated is made the negative electrode, that is, cathode.
2. A thick copper plate is made as the positive electrode, that is, anode.
3. Acidified copper sulphate solution is taken as electrolyte.

Reaction at the anode: Cu(s) → Cu2+(aq) + 2e -

Reaction at the cathode: Cu2+(aq)+ 2e → Cu(s)

-

3. Electro refining of copper

Anode: Block of impure copper
Cathode : Thin strip of pure copper

Electrolyte: Copper sulphate solution with a few drops of sulphuric acid.

Reaction at the anode: Cu(s) → Cu2+(aq) + 2e -

Reaction at the cathode: Cu (aq) + 2e → Cu(s)

2+ -

Q: Amit made the circuit given in Fig. 1 and observed that the bulb did not glow. On Peehu’s
suggestion he added one more cell in the circuit. To his surprise the bulb started glowing.
Explain.

Ans- Initially the bulb in the circuit did not glow because the current in the circuit was too weak
to make the filament glow. On adding one more cell, the current in the circuit is increased and
enough heat was produced to make the bulb glow.

Q. Observe Fig. 3 Which of these two circuits A or B shows the correct observation?
 A B Fig. 3

Circuit A shows the correct observation. Potato contains water and starch. On electrolysis,
hydrogen gas bubbles are released at cathode. At anode (positive terminal), oxidation takes
place at the copper electrode leading to the formation of copper complex which is bluish- green
in colour.

Q. a) In the circuit given as Fig.4, Disha observed that copper is deposited on the electrode
connected to the negative terminal of the battery. Apeksha tried to repeat the same
experiment. But she could find only one copper plate. Therefore she took a carbon rod as
negative electrode. Will copper be still deposited on the carbon rod? Explain your answer.

Since carbon rod was made into cathode, electroplating will take place and copper will get
deposited on the carbon cathode.

b) Observe the circuit given in Fig. 5

Tanishi set up this circuit for purification of copper. What will be the nature of –
1. plate A ____________
2. plate B ____________
3. electrolyte _________
1. plate A : thin strip of pure copper (cathode)
2. plate B : thick block of impure copper( anode)
3. electrolyte : an aqueous solution of copper sulphate and a few drops of sulphuric acid

c) Rahul made the circuit shown in Fig.6. He wanted to observe what happens when an
electric current is passed through tap water. But he forgot to add a few drops of lemon juice
to water. Will it make any difference to his observations? Explain.

Tap water contains dissolved salts. Hence, he will observe that current will flow through the
circuit. However, on adding lemon juice, the electrical conductivity of the solution increases and
a stronger current flows through the circuit.

Q. Observing that the bulb does not glow in the circuit shown in Fig.7 A, Yash changed the
circuit as shown in Fig.7 B. He observed deflection in the magnetic compass.

Fig.7 A Fig. 7 B
a) What does the deflection in the magnetic compass indicate?
The deflection of the compass indicates that the current is flowing through the circuit which
produces a magnetic field. This also indicates that the liquid taken is an electrolyte.
b) Why did the bulb not glow in Fig.7 A?
The current in the circuit was not strong enough to make the bulb glow. This indicates that the
electrolyte taken was weak electrolyte.

c) What would be the effect of increase in the number of turns in the coil wound around the
magnetic compass in Fig. 7 B?
As the number of turns are increased, the magnetic effect of current increases and more
deflection is observed in the magnetic compass.

d) What will be observed if the numbers of cells are increased in the circuit shown in Fig.7 B?
As the number of cells increase, more current flows through the circuit which results in an
increase in the magnetic field of current. This in turn causes greater deflection of the needle of
the magnetic compass.

Q. Mercury is a liquid that conducts electricity. Is it an electrolyte?

No, as Mercury is a liquid metal. It conducts electricity due to flow of electrons. It is not an
electrolyte, because an electrolyte is defined as a compound that ionizes in aqueous solution. In
electrolytes, electric current is conducted due to flow of ions.