electrolysis of aqueous solutions

Question 1

what depends on the relative reactivity of the elements involved?

Answer 1

The ions discharged when an aqueous solution is electrolysed using inert electrodes

Question 2

what is the water in a solution broken down into + by?

Answer 2

electricity into hydrogen ions (H + )
and hydroxide ions (OH - ).

Question 3

what is produced at the negative electrode (cathode)?

Answer 3

hydrogen is produced if the metal is more reactive than hydrogen.

Question 4

what is produced at positive electrode?

Answer 4

oxygen is produced unless the solution contains halide ions
in which case the halogen is produced.

Question 5

what happens in the electrolysis of a salt solution (brine)?

Answer 5

hydrogen is produced at the cathode,
chlorine is produced at the anode and sodium hydroxide solution is also formed.

Question 6

what happens at the cathode?

Answer 6

positively charged ions gain electrons and so this is known as reduction.

Question 7

what happens at the anode?

Answer 7

negatively charged ions lose electrons and so these reactions are
oxidations.

Question 8

how can reactions at electrodes be represented?

Answer 8

by half equations, e.g.
2H + + 2e - H 2