Electrolysis Flashcards
Electrolysis means ….
when you pass an electric current through a molten or dissolved ionic substance
What happens when you pass an electric current through a molten ionic substance or an ionic solution?
The solution breaks down into the elements it’s made of.
What does electrolysis require?
A liquid to conduct the electricity, called electrolyte
What do electrolytes contain?
What do these do?
Free ions usually in the molten or dissolved ionic substance
Conduct the electricity
For an electrical circuit to be complete there has to be what?
So electrons are taken away from where?
Where are they given to?
As ions gain or lose electrons what happens to them?
A flow of electrons
The negative electrode, cathode
Positive electrode, anode
They become atoms or molecules and are released
Reduction is …
So in electrolysis reduction is the …. of …
gain
gain of electrons
Oxidation is …
So in electrolysis oxidation is the …. of …
loss
loss of electrons
Electrolysis always involves either what or what?
Oxidation or reduction
What happens during the electrolysis of molten lead bromide?
- What happens at the -ve electrode
- What happens at the +ve electrode
- At the -ve electrode one lead ion accepts two electrons and becomes one lead atom
- Two bromide ions lose one electron each and become one bromide molecule, Br2
…. ions are attracted to the -ve electrode. Here they … electrons
Lead is produced at the … electrode
+ve, gain
-ve
…. ions are attracted to the +ve electrode. Here they … electrons
Bromine is produced at the … electrode
-ve, lose
+ve
Reactivity does what in electrolysis? (simple)
affects the products formed by electrolysis
Sometimes there are what in the electrolyte?
At the -ve electrode (cathode) where … ions gather because they have a …. charge, if there are … ions present the metals ions might do what? Why?
other free ions, like H+ ions and OH-.
metal, +ve, H+
Stay in the solution, because the H+ ions might be less reactive and so the reactive metal is more keen to stay as an ion. So Hydrogen will be produced unless the metal is less reactive.
At the +ve electrode (anode) where … ions gather because they have a …. charge, if there are … ions and …. ions present the molecules of …, … or … might do what?
If none of these three or their group is present, what will form here?
-ve, -ve, OH- and halide ions
chlorine, bromine, iodine might form.
Oxygen
What are the products of sodium chloride solution after electrolysis? (3)
Hydrogen, chlorine and sodium hydroxide