2023/10/5 15:42 Investigating the electrolysis of brine

INVESTIGATING THE ELECTROLYSIS OF BRINE NOTES

October 05, 2023

Section: Predict

1. Write the name and formula of all the ions present in a concentrated aqueous
solution of sodium chloride. Which of these will be attracted to the anode and
which to the cathode?

Na+(aq),Cl-(aq)
NaCl(aq)==Na+(aq)+Cl-(aq)]
Na+(aq)----Cathode
Cl-(aq)----Anode

Comment: Sodium ions, Na+ and hydrogen ions, H+ will be attracted to the
cathode. Chloride ions Cl- and hydroxide ions, OH- will be attracted to the
anode]

2. Considering all of the ions present in solution into account, which products do
you predict will be formed from the electrolysis of concentrated, aqueous sodium
chloride solution and which electrodes will they be discharged at?

H2(g) HCl(l) Cl2(g)

Comment: Chlorine will be formed at the anode. Hydrogen will be formed at

the cathode.

3. When electrolysis starts, what might you expect to see happening at the
electrodes?

Bubbles

Comment: Bubbles will be formed

4. If you were to continue the electrolysis until no more bubbles formed at either
electrode, what would constitute the electrolyte?

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HCl

Comment: Sodium hydroxide solution

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Section: Explain

1. What did you see happening at each electrode and what does this mean is
produced?

Bubbles from both electrodes,more in the cathode,less in the anode

Pungent smell

Comment: Bubbles are evident which means gases are being produced

2. In terms of half equations, explain what is happens at: (a) the anode(b) the
cathode

Anode:2Cl-(aq)==Cl2(g)+2e-
Cathode:2Na+(aq)+2e-==2Na

Comment: Hydrogen at the cathode: 2H+(aq) + 2e- → H2(g)

chlorine at the anode: 2Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g) + 2e-

3. Explain what happened at the anode, when you brought damp blue litmus
paper close to it.

The damp blue litmus paper turn red and then turn pink.

Comment: Chlorine produced caused the litmus paper to go red (due to

chloric (I) acid and hydrochloric acids being formed). Chlorine is also a
bleaching agent and causes the paper to turn white

4. If you could collect enough of the gas produced at the cathode, how would you
test to see which gas it is?

make squeaky pop with lighted splint

Comment: Collect the gas in a test tube and test it with a lighted splint. A
squeaky pop would result

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Section: Plan

1. Consider a labelled diagram how you would modify this experiment to collect
for the gases produced in the laboratory. Assume you have a full range of lab
equipment available. What would your labelled diagram include?

water displacement method with meaturing cylinder,tube,bowl of water.

Comment: Your labelled diagram should include:

Test tubes

Test gas 1

Test gas 2

Negative electrode (cathode)

Positive electrode (anode)

Carbon electrodes

Solution of sodium chloride (brine)

Universal indicator solution added to the brine solution

D.C. electricity

2. Sodium chloride has a very high melting point, and cannot be melted in the
school laboratory. However, zinc chloride has a much lower melting point and can
be melted quite easily and the electrolysed. Make notes how you would achieve
this and write down half-reactions for the reactions at the electrodes.

bunser burner and then electrolyse

Anode:2Cl-(aq)==Cl2(g)+2e-
Cathode:Zn2+(aq)+2e-==Zn(s)

Comment: At the cathode: Zn2+ + 2e- → Zn

At the anode: 2CI- → CI2 + 2e-

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Section: Analyse

1. A similar experiment was conducted using dilute sodium chloride solution as

the electrolyte. Explain using half equations, what the products at the two
electrodes would be in this case.

Anode:Cl-(aq)+H+(aq)==HCl(l)
Cathode:2Na+(aq)+2e-==2Na(s)

Comment: Anode: 4OH- → O2(g) + 2H2O(l) + 4e-

Cathode: 2H+(aq) + 2e- → H2(g)

2. A student wanted to produce a sample of sodium by electrolysis. They prepared

a concentrated solution of sodium sulfate and electrolysed the solution using
graphite electrodes. Explain why the student was unable to obtain sodium.

The sodium didn't participate in the reaction.

So it's just like electrolysis the water.

Comment: Sodium is a reactive metal, above hydrogen in the reactivity series.

Metals above hydrogen cannot be obtained by the electrolysis of aqueous
solutions.

3. In the electrolysis in question 2 above, which products would the student have
produced at the electrodes?

H2(g) and O2(g)

Comment: Anode: oxygen and Cathode: hydrogen

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Section: Evaluate

1. The experiment you did was also set-up by another learner. However, they did
not observe any gases being produced and therefore no pungent smell. What
would you suggest they check to try to get their experiment to work?

Change the battery and the wires.

The pencils are not very sharp.

Comment:

Check the battery or try a new one

Check that the leads are connected properly

Check the label of the salt, making sure they used table salt

2. The rate of electrolysis was found to be very slow. What factors could you
change to increase the rate?

Higher concentration of NaCl.

Higher temprature.
Decrease pressure.
Larger charge of the battery.

Comment:

Use a power pack producing a higher current

Use electrodes with a larger surface area

Increase the concentration of the solution

3. In the experiment you have just performed, another learner decided to plot the
volume of chlorine and hydrogen produced (in cm³) against time (in seconds). The
graph they obtained is shown above. Justify why this is not the expected result
giving a reason why the graph is the shape it is.

Chlorine will first produce HCl with H2

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Comment: The volume of the two gases produced should be the same as
indicated by the two half-equations for the electrode reactions.

hydrogen at the cathode: 2H+(aq) + 2e- → H2(g)

chlorine at the anode: 2Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g) + 2e-

I mole of any gas occupies the same volume.

However, the volume of chlorine produced is lower than expected. This is

probably due to the high solubility of chlorine in water which is indicated
between minutes 0-7 in the graph. After 7 min the electrolyte is presumably
saturated with chlorine, after which point a straight line graph is produced.

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