Chemical Effects of Electric Current

- Do Liquids conduct electricity?

When the liquid between the two ends of

the tester allows the electric current to
pass, the circuit of the tester becomes
complete. When the liquid does not allow
the electric current to pass, the circuit of
the tester is not complete and the bulb
doesn’t glow.

Examples of good conductors - lemon juice, tap water, milk, any

solution with salt/minerals, caustic soda, potassium iodide

Examples of poor conductors - vinegar, distilled water, vegetable oil,

honey, air

Due to the heating effect of current, the filament of the bulb gets
heated to a high temperature and starts glowing. However is the
current through a circuit is too weak, the filament doesn’t get heated
sufficiently and does’t glow.
 This setup can be used to test the
strength/presence of an electric current. If
there is an electric current produced, the
needle in the compass will deflect. This
setup makes use of the magnetic effect of
electric current.
Under certain conditions, most materials
can conduct electricity, which is why we
usually classify materials as good conductors and poor conductors.

Water that we get from impure sources have salts and minerals
dissolved in it, which makes them a good conductor or electricity.
However, since distilled water is free of salts, it’s a poor conductor.

- Chemical Effects of Electric Current

Electrodes -
- conductor of electricity that can carry electric current into non-
metals and other poor conductors of electricity
- Anode - Positively charged electrode
- Cathode - Negatively charged electrode

In 1800, the British chemist, William

Nicholson (1753-1815), proved that if
electrodes were immersed in water, and a
current was passed, bubbles of oxygen
and hydrogen were produced.

The anode attracted the oxygen bubbles,

and the cathode attracted the hydrogen
bubbles.
Chemical effects of electric current -
- Bubbles of a gas may be formed on the electrodes
- Deposits of metal may be seen on the electrodes
- Changes of colour of solutions may occur

- Electroplating
When electric current is passed through the
copper sulphate solution, copper and
sulphate dissasociates into copper and
sulphate. The free copper gets drawn to the
cathode and gets deposited on it. From the
anode, an equal amount of copper is
dissolved in the solution, which replaces the
copper lost from the solution. Copper gets
transferred from one electrode to another.

Electroplating -
- The process of depositing a layer of any desired metal on another
material
- One of the most common applications of chemical effects of
electric current
- Widely used in industry for coating metal objects with a layer of a
different metal
- The layer of metal deposited has some desired property, which
the metal of the object lacks
- Ex. Chromium plating is done on many objects such as car
parts, bath taps, kitchen gas burners, bicycle handlebards,
wheel rims, etc. It’s shiny, doesn’t corrode, resists scratches,
but it’s expensive, and using it to make the entire object isn’t
economical. Therefore, the object is made from a cheaper
metal and only a coating of chromium is deposited.
- Ex. Jewellry makers electroplate silver / gold on less
expensive metals, which make the ornaments have the
appearance of silver / gold but are much less expensive.

- Ex. Tin cans, used for storing food, are made by

electroplating tin onto iron because tin is less reactive than
iron. Food doesn’t come into contact with iron, and it
protected from getting spoilt.

- Ex. Iron is used in bridges and automobiles to provide

strength, but it tends to rust. Therefore, a coating of zinc is
deposited on iron to protect it from corrosion and formation
of rust.