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    AQA GCSE Chemistry Topic 4: Chemical Changes: Electrolysis

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    Aayma Munir
    The document discusses electrolysis, which is the process of using an electric current to break down ionic substances into elements. During electrolysis, positively charged ions move to the negative cathode where they gain electrons and are reduced, while negatively charged ions move to the positive anode where they lose electrons and are oxidized. When molten ionic compounds are electrolyzed, the metal forms at the cathode and the non-metal forms at the anode. Some metals like aluminum that are too reactive to extract through carbon reduction must be extracted through electrolysis of their molten compounds. Electrolysis of aqueous solutions produces hydrogen at the cathode unless the metal is less reactive, and produces oxygen or halide ions at the anode depending on

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    AQA GCSE Chemistry Topic 4: Chemical Changes: Electrolysis

    Uploaded by

    Aayma Munir
    27 views3 pages
    The document discusses electrolysis, which is the process of using an electric current to break down ionic substances into elements. During electrolysis, positively charged ions move to the negative cathode where they gain electrons and are reduced, while negatively charged ions move to the positive anode where they lose electrons and are oxidized. When molten ionic compounds are electrolyzed, the metal forms at the cathode and the non-metal forms at the anode. Some metals like aluminum that are too reactive to extract through carbon reduction must be extracted through electrolysis of their molten compounds. Electrolysis of aqueous solutions produces hydrogen at the cathode unless the metal is less reactive, and produces oxygen or halide ions at the anode depending on

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    4.3. Electrolysis

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    The document discusses electrolysis, which is the process of using an electric current to break down ionic substances into elements. During electrolysis, positively charged ions move to the negative cathode where they gain electrons and are reduced, while negatively charged ions move to the positive anode where they lose electrons and are oxidized. When molten ionic compounds are electrolyzed, the metal forms at the cathode and the non-metal forms at the anode. Some metals like aluminum that are too reactive to extract through carbon reduction must be extracted through electrolysis of their molten compounds. Electrolysis of aqueous solutions produces hydrogen at the cathode unless the metal is less reactive, and produces oxygen or halide ions at the anode depending on

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    27 views3 pages

    AQA GCSE Chemistry Topic 4: Chemical Changes: Electrolysis

    Uploaded by

    Aayma Munir
    The document discusses electrolysis, which is the process of using an electric current to break down ionic substances into elements. During electrolysis, positively charged ions move to the negative cathode where they gain electrons and are reduced, while negatively charged ions move to the positive anode where they lose electrons and are oxidized. When molten ionic compounds are electrolyzed, the metal forms at the cathode and the non-metal forms at the anode. Some metals like aluminum that are too reactive to extract through carbon reduction must be extracted through electrolysis of their molten compounds. Electrolysis of aqueous solutions produces hydrogen at the cathode unless the metal is less reactive, and produces oxygen or halide ions at the anode depending on

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    ​ ​AQA​ ​GCSE​ ​Chemistry

    Topic​ ​4:​ ​Chemical​ ​changes


    Electrolysis

    Notes
    (Content​ ​in​ ​bold​ ​is​ ​for​ ​Higher​ ​Tier​ ​only)

    www.pmt.education
    The​ ​process​ ​of​ ​electrolysis
    ● When​ ​an​ ​ionic​ ​substance​ ​is​ ​melted​ ​or​ ​dissolved,​ ​the​ ​ions​ ​are​ ​free​ ​to​ ​move​ ​about
    within​ ​the​ ​liquid​ ​or​ ​solution.
    ● Passing​ ​a​ ​current​ ​through​ ​substances​ ​that​ ​are​ ​molten​ ​or​ ​solution​ ​means​ ​that​ ​the
    solution​ ​can​ ​be​ ​broken​ ​down​ ​into​ ​elements.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​electrolysis,​ ​and​ ​the
    substance​ ​being​ ​broken​ ​down​ ​is​ ​the​ ​electrolyte.
    ● During​ ​electrolysis,​ ​positively​ ​charged​ ​ions​​ ​move​ ​to​ ​the​ ​negative​ ​electrode
    (cathode),​ ​and​ ​negatively​ ​charged​ ​ions​​ ​move​ ​to​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​electrode​​ ​(anode).
    ● Ions​ ​are​ ​discharged​ ​at​ ​the​ ​electrodes​ ​producing​ ​elements

    Electrolysis​ ​of​ ​molten​ ​ionic​ ​compounds


    ● When​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​ionic​ ​compound​ ​(e.g​ ​lead​ ​bromide)​ ​is​ ​electrolysed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​molten
    state​ ​using​ ​inert​ ​electrodes,​ ​the​ ​metal​ ​(lead)​ ​is​ ​produced​ ​at​ ​the​ ​cathode​ ​and​ ​the
    non-metal​ ​(bromine)​ ​is​ ​produced​ ​at​ ​the​ ​anode
    ● this​ ​is​ ​because​ ​the​ ​metal​ ​is​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​ions​ ​and​ ​the​ ​non-metal​ ​is​ ​the​ ​negative
    ions

    Using​ ​electrolysis​ ​to​ ​extract​ ​metals


    ● Metals​ ​that​ ​are​ ​more​ ​reactive​ ​than​ ​carbon​ ​(e.g​ ​aluminium),​ ​so​ ​too​ ​reactive​ ​to​ ​be
    extracted​ ​by​ ​reduction​ ​with​ ​carbon,​ ​ ​are​ ​extracted​ ​by​ ​electrolysis​ ​of​ ​molten
    compounds.
    ● Large​ ​amounts​ ​of​ ​energy​ ​are​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​extraction​ ​process​ ​to​ ​melt​ ​the
    compounds​ ​and​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​the​ ​electrical​ ​current.
    ● Aluminium​ ​is​ ​manufactured​ ​by​ ​the​ ​electrolysis​ ​of​ ​a​ ​molten​ ​mixture​ ​of​ ​aluminium
    oxide​ ​and​ ​cryolite​ ​using​ ​carbon​ ​as​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​electrode​ ​(anode).
    o Aluminium​ ​oxide​ ​has​ ​a​ ​very​ ​high​ ​melting​ ​point,​ ​so​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​too
    expensive​ ​to​ ​melt​ ​it,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​why​ ​it​ ​is​ ​mixed​ ​with​ ​cryolite
    o the​ ​positive​ ​electrodes​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​continually​ ​replaced​ ​because​ ​oxygen​ ​is
    formed,​ ​which​ ​reacts​ ​with​ ​the​ ​carbon​ ​of​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​electrodes,​ ​forming
    carbon​ ​dioxide,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​gradually​ ​burn​ ​away
    ● Metals​ ​that​ ​react​ ​with​ ​carbon​ ​can​ ​be​ ​extracted​ ​by​ ​electrolysis​ ​as​ ​well

    Electrolysis​ ​of​ ​aqueous​ ​solutions


    ● The​ ​ions​ ​discharged​ ​when​ ​an​ ​aqueous​ ​solution​ ​is​ ​electrolysed​ ​using​ ​inert
    electrodes​ ​depend​ ​on​ ​the​ ​relative​ ​reactivity​ ​of​ ​the​ ​elements​ ​involved.
    ● At​ ​the​ ​negative​ ​electrode​ ​(cathode),​ ​hydrogen​ ​is​ ​produced​ ​unless​ ​the​ ​metal​ ​is
    less​ ​reactive​ ​than​ ​hydrogen.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​because​ ​more​ ​reactive​ ​ions​ ​want​ ​to​ ​stay
    within​ ​the​ ​solution.
    ● At​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​electrode,​ ​if​ ​OH-​ ​and​ ​halide​ ​ions​ ​(Cl-,​ ​Br-,​ ​I-)​ ​are​ ​present,​ ​then​ ​one
    of​ ​the​ ​halide​ ​ions​ ​will​ ​be​ ​produced.​ ​If​ ​no​ ​halide​ ​is​ ​present,​ ​oxygen​ ​is​ ​formed.
    ● This​ ​happens​ ​because​ ​in​ ​the​ ​aqueous​ ​solution​ ​water​ ​molecules​ ​break​ ​down
    producing​ ​H+​ ​ions​ ​and​ ​OH-​ ​ions​ ​that​ ​are​ ​discharged

    www.pmt.education
    Representation​ ​of​ ​reactions​ ​at​ ​electrodes​ ​as​ ​half​ ​equations
    ● This​ ​is​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​half​ ​equation;​ ​the​ ​small​ ​number​ ​is​ ​always​ ​the​ ​same​ ​as
    the​ ​2​ ​larger​ ​numbers​ ​within​ ​the​ ​equation.​ ​&​ ​electrons​ ​are​ ​represented​ ​by​ ​the
    symbol​ ​‘e-‘

    ● writing​ ​half​ ​equations​ ​for​ ​the​ ​reactions​ ​at​ ​each​ ​electrode:


    ○ negative​ ​electrode:​ ​X​+​​ ​->​ ​X,​ ​so​ ​ionic​ ​equation​ ​must​ ​be:​ ​X+​​ ​ ​+​ ​e​-​​ ​->​ ​X,
    electrons​ ​gained,​ ​so​ ​positive​ ​ions​ ​are​ ​reduced
    ○ positive​ ​electrode:​ ​X​-​​ ​->​ ​X,​ ​so​ ​ionic​ ​equation​ ​must​ ​be:​ ​X-​​ ​ ​->​ ​e-​​ ​ ​+​ ​X,
    electrons​ ​are​ ​lost,​ ​so​ ​negative​ ​ions​ ​are​ ​oxidised

    www.pmt.education

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