Product of Electrolysis
The oxidising and the reducing species present in the electrolytic cell are used to find the product of the electrolysis. If in an aqueous solution, we have more than one cation or anion then each ion will not be reduced or oxidised. The reaction with more redox potential will be reduced or oxidised in comparison to others.
For example, the electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride gives different products such as,
- Hydrogen and Chlorine
- Hydrogen and Oxygen
- Hydrogen, Oxygen and Chlorine
Electrolysis of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) solution also called Brine is discussed below,
- At Anode: Chlorine Gas (Cl₂) is produced
- At Cathode: Hydrogen Gas (H₂) is produced
In the solution, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is formed.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is the process of decomposing the ionic compound into its constituent elements by passing the electric current into the solution of the ionic compound. The concept of electrolysis was first given by the famous scientist of the 19th century Michael Faraday. It is a chemical process that uses electrical energy to bring changes in the chemical reaction. Electrolysis is used to separate components of the ionic compounds.
In this article, we will learn about, electrolysis, its process, faraday’s law of electrolysis and others in detail in this article.