Electrolysis

In this section of the lesson we will look at the process of electrolysis. Electrolysis involves the forced transfer of electrons from one chemical to another.

In turn we will consider the electrolysis of water, electrolytic solutions and molten salts. After that comes a look at the process of electroplating followed by a brief mention of the calculations that relate time, current and the amount of a chemical that reacts in an electrolytic cell.

Electrolytic Cells

The examples we will consider in this section are examples of what we call electrolytic cells. An electrolytic cell is a combination of electrodes and chemicals through which an electric current is forced. In these cells, electricity is used to force chemical reactions.

Electrolytic cells come in many forms and are used for a variety of purposes, such as electroplating with chrome and silver, extracting aluminum from aluminum ores, and even generating metallic sodium and gaseous chlorine from salt. Let's take a closer look at that last one.

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