Question

What is meant by an electrolysis? Explain any one application of electrolysis in detail.

Answer 1

Answer:

Definition

Have you ever heard of the term copper ore? What about iron ore? Ore deposits found deep within our earth contain a wide variety of metals and minerals highly valued by both the trade and manufacturing industries. The metals copper and iron are separated from ore deposits. Now, you may be wondering, how can you extract a metal, like copper, from a rock like ore? Great question! The answer is by using a fascinating process called electrolysis.

Electrolysis is the chemical process of using an electrical current to stimulate non-spontaneous reactions. A non-spontaneous reaction is one that needs energy to work while it proceeds. In other words, the process would not happen on its own, as it goes in an unfavorable, or a reversed, direction.

Important uses include its role in separating metals from a natural source, such as our friend the copper ore. Other useful benefits for electrolysis include the purification of metals and decomposition of compounds like water.

The site where electrolysis occurs is in an electrolytic cell, which is a type of electrochemical cell that drives an electrical current using a non-spontaneous reaction. So, not like a cell in your body, but a container. Thus, these cells must have an energy source to drive the reaction in the reverse or opposite direction, like a battery. Be careful not to confuse an electrolytic cell with electrolysis. Always remember that the electrolysis process is performed using an electrolytic cell.

How Does Electrolysis Work?

We can understand the process of electrolysis by looking at an example involving the purification of a copper metal. This process will require an anode, a positively charged electrode, and a cathode, a negatively charged electrode. In this case, an impure copper metal is the anode, while the pure copper metal is the cathode. The goal is to use electrolysis for the purpose of recycling a dirty old piece of copper pipe, or impure copper, to a beautiful, purified copper pipe.

The copper sulfate electrolyte, or solution, ensures there is a liquid medium conducive for ion movement inside the cell (a). When copper ions leave the impure copper pipe through the help of an energy supply, they migrate from the anode (b) to the cathode

Answer 2

ELECTROLYSIS is a process in which a chemical change , especially decomposition,i s brought about by passing current through a solution of electrolyte,s o that the electrolyte's ions move towards the negative and positive electrodes and react with them.