Electrolysis
Chemistry · 50 practice questions
Electrolytes and non-electrolytes; Faraday's laws of electrolysis; electrolysis of dilute H₂SO₄, aqueous CuSO₄, CuCl₂, dilute/concentrated NaCl and fused NaCl; factors affecting discharge of ions at electrodes; uses of electrolysis (purification of metals e.g. copper; production of Al, Na, O₂, Cl₂, NaOH); electrochemical cells (electrochemical series, half-cell reactions, electrode potentials); corrosion as an electrolytic process and its prevention (cathodic protection, painting, electroplating, coating).
- Distinguish between electrolytes and non-electrolytes.
- Perform calculations based on the Faraday as a mole of electrons.
- Identify suitable electrodes for different electrolytes and specify the reactions/products at each electrode.
- Identify factors affecting the products of electrolysis and specify its areas of application.
- Identify electrochemical cells and calculate electrode potentials from half-cell equations.
- Identify methods used to protect metals from corrosion.
Try a few questions
- Practice question 1
The term "electrolysis" fundamentally refers to the
- A.formation of a substance without any electrical involvement at all
- B.purely mechanical breaking apart of a solid substance
- C.decomposition of a substance by the passage of electricity through it
- D.process of dissolving a substance in a suitable solvent
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C. decomposition of a substance by the passage of electricity through it
The name itself reflects the core process: using electric current to chemically decompose a substance.
- Practice question 2
The industrial Downs process for extracting sodium metal mainly involves
- A.electrolysis of molten sodium chloride mixed with calcium chloride to lower its melting point
- B.chemical reduction of sodium chloride using carbon
- C.simple heating of solid sodium chloride with no electrical current
- D.dissolving sodium chloride in water before electrolysis
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A. electrolysis of molten sodium chloride mixed with calcium chloride to lower its melting point
Adding calcium chloride usefully lowers the very high melting point of pure sodium chloride, making the Downs process more practical.
- Practice question 3
In a simple electrolytic cell, the electrode connected to the positive terminal of the external power source is mainly the
- A.cathode, while the electrode connected to the negative terminal is the anode
- B.anode, while the electrode connected to the negative terminal is the cathode
- C.anode, with no distinct cathode present in the cell
- D.cathode, with no distinct anode present in the cell
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B. anode, while the electrode connected to the negative terminal is the cathode
This standard wiring convention defines which electrode acts as the anode and which acts as the cathode in an electrolytic cell.
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