Question

For electroplating copper on an iron object, which terminal of the battery (positive or negative) is connected to the iron object? Also name the electrolyte you will use for this purpose.

Answer 1

Negative terminal of the battery is connected to the iron object.

Copper sulphate is the electrolyte we will use for this purpose.

Explanation:

• Electroplating is a process of using electric current to dissolve a metal in a solution and use that cations to plate on another metal.
• This is used to prevent corrosion.
• In electroplating, the metal which is need to be coated is used as anode and metal used for coating is used as cathode. The solution of cathode is used as electrolyte.
• In copper electroplating, copper is cathode (positive terminal), iron is anode (negative terminal) and copper sulphate is electrolyte.
• When electric current is passed to through electrodes, then copper ions (cations) are attracted towards iron (negative charge).

Answer 2

Electroplating

Explanation:

The most common industrial application of chemical effects of electric current is electroplating.

Electroplating is a process in which electric current to passed in order to coat the electrode with a thin layer of cations.

So the item that needs to be coated is placed as the electrode and the electrolyte will contain the metal that acts as the coating. When electricity is passed through it, the electrolyte will separate into cations and anions and the cation will deposit on the electrode.

For electroplating iron with copper, copper is used as cathode (positive terminal) and iron is used as anode (negative terminal). Copper sulphate will be used as the electrolyte.