Question

To demonstrate the chemical effect of electric current

Answer 1

The phenomenon of electrolysis is an important chemical effect of electric current. In a metallic conductor, the electric current is due to the drifting of free electrons, there is no chemical or physical change, only the generation of heat. However, in ionic solutions (electrolytes), the electric current is due to the movement of ions and there are associated chemical changes. In a typical experiment of electrolysis, two metal rods are immersed in an ionic solution and connected to the two ends of a battery. The dissociated ions appear in the two plates. Michael Faraday was the first to carry out quantitative investigations and summarise them in the now two famous laws of electrolysis.