what are electrodes? difference between them? what is an electrode made up of?
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Electrode refers to a conductor by which electrical currents can travel. In fact, these little guys are sometimes referred to as electrical conductors. You can find them in a wide variety of electrical devices such as batteries, electrolytic cells, or electron tubes.
You might be wondering what is an electrode made of. Well, what do you suspect is a great conductor of electricity? Metals are great conductors of electricity. In fact, metals are commonly used in the production of electrodes. The type of metals used range from copper to zinc to gold and platinum.
Think of an electrode as a bridge that forges a passageway for electrons to travel on. Electrons are the guys zipping around the nucleus of an atom. Technically, they're subatomic particles with a negative electric charge.
Atoms have protons too, which have a positive charge. Atoms with the same number of protons and electrons are calledneutral, because their charges cancel each other out.
However, if the number of electrons are different from the proton count, the atom will either be negative or positive. We can call that atom an ion. There are two different types of ions:
Cations are positively charged ions.Anions are negatively charged ions.
Anodes and Cathodes
Similarly, there are two different types of electrodes:
An anode is an electrode that attracts anions.A cathode is an electrode that attracts cations.
A helpful way to remember the relationship between ions and electrodes is to know that 'cat' in cathode refers to cation. The first letter 'a' in anode refers to anion.
When you connect both electrodes together, you can form an electrical circuit. An electrical circuit is the path by which electrons flow. Thus, if the electrode is our bridge that electrons travel on, the circuit is the road map electrons use to determine where to travel. In electrical devices, electrons will always flow from the anode to the cathode.
How Does an Electrode Work?
In describing how an electrode works, there are two different electrical devices we can use as examples. The first example involves our battery. As shown in this diagram, a battery has two terminal ends, the cathode and anode. Two different processes occurring inside the battery contribute to the flow of electrical current. First, chemical reactions are firing off within the battery. Second, we have electrons zooming around from the anode and cathode to generate electricity for a device.
You might be wondering what is an electrode made of. Well, what do you suspect is a great conductor of electricity? Metals are great conductors of electricity. In fact, metals are commonly used in the production of electrodes. The type of metals used range from copper to zinc to gold and platinum.
Think of an electrode as a bridge that forges a passageway for electrons to travel on. Electrons are the guys zipping around the nucleus of an atom. Technically, they're subatomic particles with a negative electric charge.
Atoms have protons too, which have a positive charge. Atoms with the same number of protons and electrons are calledneutral, because their charges cancel each other out.
However, if the number of electrons are different from the proton count, the atom will either be negative or positive. We can call that atom an ion. There are two different types of ions:
Cations are positively charged ions.Anions are negatively charged ions.
Anodes and Cathodes
Similarly, there are two different types of electrodes:
An anode is an electrode that attracts anions.A cathode is an electrode that attracts cations.
A helpful way to remember the relationship between ions and electrodes is to know that 'cat' in cathode refers to cation. The first letter 'a' in anode refers to anion.
When you connect both electrodes together, you can form an electrical circuit. An electrical circuit is the path by which electrons flow. Thus, if the electrode is our bridge that electrons travel on, the circuit is the road map electrons use to determine where to travel. In electrical devices, electrons will always flow from the anode to the cathode.
How Does an Electrode Work?
In describing how an electrode works, there are two different electrical devices we can use as examples. The first example involves our battery. As shown in this diagram, a battery has two terminal ends, the cathode and anode. Two different processes occurring inside the battery contribute to the flow of electrical current. First, chemical reactions are firing off within the battery. Second, we have electrons zooming around from the anode and cathode to generate electricity for a device.
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