Ch13 Electrolysis

Electrolysis
•When an electric current is passed through an
electrolyte it decomposes or breaks down.
•The current separates the elements that form the
electrolyte.
•Electrolysis can therefore be described as a process
that uses direct electricity
to decompose electrolytes.
Key Terms
•Electrode is a rod of metal or graphite through which an electric
current flows into or out of an electrolyte.
•Electrolyte is the ionic compound in molten or dissolved
solution that conducts the electricity.
•Anode is the positive electrode of an electrolysis cell.
•Anion is a negatively charged ion which is attracted to the
anode.
•Cathode is the negative electrode of an electrolysis cell.
•Cation is a positively charged ion which is attracted to the
cathode.
Movement of Ions
•During electrolysis the electrons move from the power supply towards
the cathode.
•Electron flow in electrochemistry thus occurs in alphabetical order as
electrons flow from the anode to the cathode.
•Positive ions within the electrolyte migrate towards
the negatively charged electrode which is the cathode.
•Negative ions within the electrolyte migrate towards
the positively charged electrode which is the anode.
Electrical Conductivity of
Covalent Compounds:
Covalent Compounds do not conduct electricity as they do not have
delocalised electrons that are free to move to conduct an electric charge. 

Electric current is the flow of electrons.

Water does not conduct electricity as all valence electrons are used in
forming covalent bonds, so there are no delocalised electrons that are
free to move to conduct an electric charge
Ionic Compounds
Formed when atoms of metals transfer electrons to atoms of non – metals
to form compounds made up of ions.
Ionic Compounds cannot conduct electricity when solid as ions are fixed
in structure and are not free to move.
However, Ionic compounds can conduct electricity when molten or in
Aqueous solution as their ions are free to move to conduct an electric
charge.
Predicting Binary Product
Compounds
These products are easy to predict since there are only one
type of anion and cation present
To predict the products of any binary molten compound first
identify the ions present.
The positive ion will migrate towards the cathode and
the negative ion will migrate towards the anode.
Therefore the cathode product will always be the metal and
the product formed at the anode will always be the non-
metal.
Electrolysis of
molten PbBr2
•Negative bromide ions move to the positive
electrode (anode) and lose two electrons to
form bromine molecules. There is bubbling at
the anode as brown bromine gas is given off.

•Positive lead ions move to the negative

electrode (cathode) and gain electrons to form
a grey lead metal which deposits on the
surface of the electrode.
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Reactions
Reactions at
at cathode
cathode Pb2+ ion gains two e− from
the cathode and
becomes discharged to
give a Pb atom
electron
Pb2+

Pb2+

a lead atom Pb

Pb2+

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Electrolysis of molten K2O
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Electrolysis of molten Al2O3
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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 Electrolysis of Aqueous
Solutions
Rules:
•Aqueous Solutions will always have Water (H2O)
•H+ and OH– ions from the water are involved as well.

Positive Electrode
•OH– ions and non-metal ions attracted to positive electrode.
•Either OH– or non-metal ions will lose electrons and oxygen gas or gas
of non-metal in question is released E.g. Chlorine, Bromine, Nitrogen.
•Product formed depends on which ion loses electrons more readily. 
Negative Electrode
•H+ and metal ions attracted to the negative electrode but only one will
gain electrons.
•Either hydrogen or metal will be produced.
•If metal is above hydrogen in reactivity series, hydrogen will be
produced – bubbling will be seen at the cathode.
Electrolysis of Aqueous CaCl2
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Electrolysis of Aqueous KI
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Electrolysis of Aqueous
H2SO4
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Electrolysis of Aqueous
Cu(NO3)2
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Concentration of ions in solution
Higher ionic
concentration
Concentrated solution
applies to Cl- , Br- and I-
(halide ion) in our syllabus

More readily
discharged

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Electrolysis of Concentrated
NaCl
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

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Electrolysis of Concentrated
MgBr2
At cathode:

At anode:

Overall reaction:

31
Purification of copper
Copper electrodes – one is pure, another is impure

Copper sulphate solution

Impure copper usually contain Ag, Zn and Pb

The concentration of the solution does not change = same colour

At cathode:

At anode:

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What happens to the
impurites??