Anion is negative ion. Its attracted to anode.

Electrolysis

Cation is positive ion. Its attracted to cathode.

Electrolysis: breaking down by electricity

Any liquid that contains ions will conduct electricity.
This is because the ions are free to move. But at the same time,
decomposition takes place. So you can use electricity to break
down a substance.
The process is called electrolysis.

Describe electrolysis as the conduction of electricity by an ionic compound (an electrolyte), when molten or dissolved in water, l
Describe electrolysis as evidence for the existence of ions which are held in a lattice when solid but which are free to move whe
Describe, in terms of the mobility of ions present and the electrode products, the electrolysis of molten lead bromide, using inert
Predict the likely products of the electrolysis of a molten compound.

Objectives:

The electrolysis of molten lead bromide

Introduction of Electrolysis
Electrolysis is the decomposition of compound using electricity
Electrolyte is an ionic compound which conducts electric current
in molten or aqueous solution, being decomposed in the process.

The diagram on the right shows the apparatus.

The graphite rods are called electrodes.
The electrode attached to the positive terminal of the battery is
also positive. It is called the anode.
The negative electrode is called the cathode.
The molten lead bromide contains lead ions (Pb2 1) and bromide ions
(Br2). This shows what happens when the switch is closed:

Electrode is a rod or plate where electricity enters or leaves

electrolyte during electrolysis. Reactions occur at electrodes.
Discharge is the removal of elctrons from negative ions to form
atoms or the gain of electrons of positive ions to become atoms.
Anode is positive electrode connected to positive terminal of d.c.
source. Oxidation occurs here. Anode loses negative charge as
electrons flow towards the battery, leaving anode positively
charged. This causes anion to discharge its electrons here to
replace lost electrons and also, negativecharge are attracted to
positive charge.
Cathode is negative electrode connected to negative terminal of
d.c. source. Reduction occurs here. Cathode gains negative charge
as electrons flow from the battery towards the cathode, making
cathode negatively charged. This causes cation to be attracted and
gains electrons to be an atom.

Page 1 of 2

Chemistry Dept/Grade9/First Term/2014

Imaduddin School

The electrolysis of other molten

compounds

The result is that the lead bromide has decomposed:

lead bromide
lead + bromine
PbBr2 (l)
Pb (l) + Br2 ( g)

The pattern is the same for all molten ionic compounds

of two elements:
Electrolysis breaks the molten ionic compound down
to its elements,
giving the metal at the cathode, and the non-metal at
the anode.
So it is a very important process. We depend on it to
obtain reactive
metals such as lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and
aluminium,
from compounds dug from the Earth.

Note that:
Electrons carry the current through the wires and
electrodes. But the
ions carry it through the liquid.
. The graphite electrodes are inert. They carry the current
into the liquid,
but remain unchanged. (Electrodes made of platinum are

Page 2 of 2

Chemistry Dept/Grade9/First Term/2014

Imaduddin School