CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

A 1:Electric current is the flow of particles with

(a) a negative charge.
(b) a positive charge.
(c) both positive and negative charges flowing opposite to each other.
(d) either positive or negative charge depending on the material.

ANSWER:d) either positive or negative charge depending on the material

2:Which of the following is not a conductor of electricity?
(a) tap water
(b) salt water
(c) pertol
(d) lime juice

ANSWER: c) petrol

3:An electrolyte is a
(a) solid that conducts electricity.
(b) liquid that conducts electricity and breaks up chemically in the process.
(c) liquid that does not conduct electricity.
(d) solid that does not conduct electricity.

ANSWER: b) liquid that conducts electricity and breaks up chemically in the process

4:On passing electricity through copper sulphate solution.

(a) copper is formed at anode.
(b) copper is formed at cathode.
(c) oxygen is formed at anode.
(d) hydrogen is formed at cathode.
ANSWER :b) copper is formed at cathode.
On passing electricity through copper sulphate solution, the salt ionizes to its constituent

5:In which of these is current not conducted by electrons?

(a) copper
(b) aluminium
(c) tap water
(d) mercury

ANSWER:(c) tap water

6:Which of these metals will you electroplate on iron to protect it from rusting and to make it
shine?
(a) copper
(b) gold
(c) zinc
(d) chromium

ANSWER:c) zinc

B 1:A positively-charged body has a __________ (deficit/excess) of electrons.

ANSWER:A positively-charged body has a deficit of electrons.

2:Electronic current flows from positive to negative. True or false?

ANSWER:False.
Since electrons flow from a negatively charged body (excess of electrons) to a positively charged
one (deficit of electrons), electronic current will also flow from the negative to the positive
charge.

3: A battery is used as a driving force in an electric circuit. True or false?

ANSWER: True.
Electromotive force is the driving force in an electric circuit, which pushes the electrons carrying
the charge around the circuit. This force is created by an electric cell or a battery.

4:Which of these is better for use in a tester for testing conductivity of liquids−electric bulb or
LED light?

ANSWER:LED light is better for use in a tester for testing conductivity of liquids because it
lights up even with a small amount of current.

5:When electricity is passed through tap water, the gases __________ and __________ are
evolved.

ANSWER:When electricity is passed through tap water, the gases hydrogen and oxygen are
evolved.
6.Ions may be positively charged or negatively charged. True or false?

ANSWER:True.
Ions may be positively charged or negatively charged. Positively charged ions are called cations,
while the negatively charged ions are called anions.

7. During electroplating, copper is deposited at the __________ (anode/cathode).

ANSWER:During electroplating, copper is deposited at the cathode.

8. Expensive metals are protected by electroplating. True or false?

ANSWER:

False.
Objects made from less expensive metals are electroplated with expensive metals, so that they
look more attractive and beautiful.
C. 1. What is electric current?

ANSWER:

A continuous and directed flow of negative charges (i.e. electrons) through a wire is called
electric current.
2:How is electronic current different from conventional current?

ANSWER:

Conventional current flows from a positively charged body to a negatively charged one, while the
electronic current flows from a negatively charged body to a positively charged one. This is the
difference between electronic current and conventional current.
3:Differentiate between conductors and insulators.

ANSWER:

Conductors Insulators

A conductor allows the electric An insulator does not conduct

current to flow through it when a electricity unless extremely high
potential difference is applied potential difference is applied
across its ends. across its ends.

A good conductor of electricity is

Insulators do not conduct heat.
generally a good conductor of heat.

Conductors have free electrons on Insulators have bonded electrons

its surface. on its surface.
4:What is an electrolyte?

ANSWER:A substance which conducts electricity in its liquid state or when it is dissolved in
water to break-up chemically is called an electrolyte. Most soluble salts, acids and bases are
electrolytes. Some examples are NaCl, KCl, NaOH, etc.
5:Why is zinc electroplated on iron?

ANSWER:Electroplating means coating a thin layer of a metal over another metal.

Zinc is electroplated on iron to prevent the latter from rusting. Hence, iron electroplated with zinc
has various applications in the construction and automobile industries.

D 1: Draw a circuit diagram showing a dry cell connected to a bulb through a switch. Mark the
positive and negative terminals of the cell and the direction of flow of
(a) electrons
(b) conventional current

ANSWER:

(a) The electrons will flow from the negative to the positive terminal.
(b) Conventional current will from from the positive to the negative terminal.
2:What are the advantages of electroplating iron with chromium?

ANSWER:Chromium is a shiny metal that never corrodes and also resists scratches. Therefore,
it is electroplated on iron to make it scratch-resistant and free from corrosion.

3:Discuss what happens when an electrolyte is dissolved in water, and then an electric current is
passed through it.

ANSWER:When an electrolyte is dissolved in water, it breaks into cations (positively charged

ions) and anions (negatively charged ions).
These ions then move freely in the aqueous solution. When an electric current is passed through
this solution, the cations move towards the negatively charged electrode, i.e. the cathode, and the
anions move towards the positively charged electrode, i.e. the anode.

4:What happens when electricity is passed through tap water?

ANSWER: Tap water is impure and contains salts of metals dissolved in it. Therefore, when
electricity is passed through tap water, it will start conducting the electricity.

E1: How will you show experimentally that an electric current can bring about a chemical
change? What is this phenomenon called?

ANSWER:

When copper sulphate is dissolved in water, it breaks into positively charged ions (cations) and
negatively charged ions (anions).
Cations move towards the negatively charged electrode (cathode), and anions move towards the
positively charged electrode (anode), thereby depositing copper at the cathode. This experiment
shows that an electric current can bring about a chemical change and the phenomenon is called
electrolysis.
2:What is electroplating? How will you carry out electroplating of copper in the laboratory?

ANSWER:Electroplating is the process of coating a thin layer of a metal such as gold, silver,
chromium, etc., over another metal.
This is done to protect the metal or to lend it an attractive look.
For electroplating copper in the laboratory, the following steps are to be taken:

 Fill three-forth of a beaker with copper sulphate solution.

 Hammer a copper wire to flatten it; then connect it to the positive terminal of a
battery.
 Connect a spoon to the negative terminal of the battery.
 Dip the copper wire as well as the spoon in the copper sulphate solution, and let the
current pass.

At the end of this experiment, you will observe a layer of copper formed over the spoon.
3:List four uses of electroplating, giving the reason for electroplating in each case.

ANSWER:Four uses of electroplating are:

1. Iron used to make bridges and automobiles is electroplated with zinc in order to
prevent rusting.
2. Gold or silver is electroplated on jewellery made from a cheaper metal in order to
make the jewellery look attractive.
3. Iron used to make food-storage utensils is electroplated with tin to prevent the food
from getting spoiled by reacting with iron.
4. Chromium is a shiny metal that never corrodes and also resists scratches. It is
electroplated on a cheaper metal like iron to make it corrosion and scratch-resistant.
Chromium-plated iron is used for manufacturing car parts, wheel rims, taps, etc.
HOTS :- 1:Which of these uses less electrical energy − electric bulb or LED light?

ANSWER.An LED light consumes less electrical energy than an electric bulb.

2:Mercury is a liquid and conducts electricity. Do you think it is an electrolyte?

(HINT: Mercury is a metal that is a liquid at room temperature.)

ANSWER:No.
Neither mercury produce ions in a solution nor in its liquid state; therefore, it cannot be used as
an electrolyte. However, it has free electrons that can well-conduct electricity.

3:Solid copper sulphate does not conduct electricity, but when it is dissolved in water, it does
conduct electricity. Why?

ANSWER:One of the essential requirements for conducting electricity is the presence of free
electrons or ions. In its solid state, the ions of copper sulphate (ionic compound) are immobile;
therefore, it cannot conduct electricity. But when it is dissolved in water, it dissociates into
copper ions and sulphate ions. These dissociated ions of copper sulphate conduct electricity.

4:Copper conducts electricity through electrons, whereas salt solution conducts electricity
through ions. Do you agree?

ANSWER: Yes, we agree that copper conducts electricity through electrons, while a salt
solution conducts electricity through ions.
Copper is a metal and has free electrons to conduct electricity, whereas a salt solution is an
electrolytic solution. The salt ionizes into its constituent ions in the solution. These ions travel
towards the oppositely charged electrodes and conduct electricity.

5:Why should you not touch electrical appliances with wet hands?

ANSWER:Water is a good conductor of electricity. So, if a person touches an electrical

appliance with wet hands, he/she may get electrocuted.

6:After doing Activity 5 (electroplating a spoon with copper), a student interchanged the
connections of the copper plate and the spoon. What do you think will happen now?

ANSWER:If a student interchanges between the copper wire and the spoon during
electroplating, the copper ions deposited on the spoon will move back to their place of origin.