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 Electrolysis – Summary Notes

 There are a number of substances around us. Some of these substance allow the passage
of electric current through them. Such substances are called conductors of electricity.
Whereas those substances that do not allow the passage of electricity through them are
called non-conductors or insulators of electricity.
 Conductors of electricity are divided into two groups: metallic conductors are metals
through which electricity can pass and no chemical change takes place. Aluminium, copper
and silver are examples of metallic conductors.
Electrolytes are those substances which allow an electric current to pass through their
aqueous solutions or in the fused state. Acids, bases and salts are examples of electrolytes.
They contain both ions and molecules.
 In metallic conductors, the current is carried by electrons, whereas in electrolytes, the
current is carried by ions.
 Types of Electrolytes
 Some electrolytes, such as HCl, H 2 SO4 , NaOH, KOH, NaCl, etc., in their molten or
dissolved state, dissociate almost completely into ions and allow a large amount of
electricity to pass through them. Such electrolytes are called strong electrolytes.
NaCl  aq   water l  ⇌ Na  aq   Cl   aq 
All strong acids and bases, and salts of strong acids are strong electrolytes.
 Some electrolytes, such as acetic acid and ammonium hydroxide, dissociate only to a
very small extent in their molten or dissolved state. They allow only a small amount
of electricity to pass through them. Such electrolytes are called weak electrolytes.
CH3COOH  aq  ⇌ CH3COO  aq   H   aq 
All weak acids and bases, and salts of weak acids are weak electrolytes.
 Non-conductors are of two types: non-metallic conductors and non-electrolytes.
 Non-metallic conductors are the non-metals through which electricity cannot pass and
no chemical change takes place.
Except carbon, all non-metals are non-conductors of electricity. Being a non-metallic
element, carbon in the form of graphite passes electricity through it.
 Non-electrolytes are those substances which do not allow electric current to pass
through their aqueous solutions. Non-electrolytes are covalent compounds. Distilled
water, alcohol and kerosene are examples of non-electrolytes.
They contain molecules only.
 The passage of an electric current through an electrolyte accompanying chemical changes
is called electrolysis.
 The rods or plates through which the current enters or leaves the electrolyte are called
electrodes.
 The electrode through which the current enters the electrolyte is called cathode. It is
negative in nature, and is connected to the negative terminal of a battery.
 The electrode through which the current leaves the electrolyte is called anode. It is
positive in nature, and is connected to the positive terminal of a battery.

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 Study Materials
NCERT Solutions for Class 6 to 12 (Math & Science)
Revision Notes for Class 6 to 12 (Math & Science)
RD Sharma Solutions for Class 6 to 12 Mathematics
RS Aggarwal Solutions for Class 6, 7 & 10 Mathematics
Important Questions for Class 6 to 12 (Math & Science)
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9, 10 & 12 (Math &
Science)
Important Formula for Class 6 to 12 Math
CBSE Syllabus for Class 6 to 12
Lakhmir Singh Solutions for Class 9 & 10
Previous Year Question Paper
CBSE Class 12 Previous Year Question Paper
CBSE Class 10 Previous Year Question Paper
JEE Main & Advanced Question Paper
NEET Previous Year Question Paper

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  The non-conducting vessel in which electrolysis takes place is called an electrolytic
cell.
 When an electrolyte is dissolved in water, its atoms or groups of atoms, form ions (charged
particles). Ions bearing positive charges are called cations and those bearing negative
charges are called anions.
 During electrolysis, positively charged ions (cations) travel in the solution towards the
negatively charged electrode (cathode) and the negatively charged ions (anions) move
towards the positively charged electrode (anode). When ions reached the electrodes, their
electric charges are neutralized because cations accept electrons from the cathode to
become neutral atoms and anions donate electrons to anode become neutral atoms. For
example, in case of electrolysis of hydrochloric acid:
HCl ⇌ H   Cl 
H   e ⇌ 𝐻 (𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑑𝑒)
Cl   e ⇌ 𝐻 (𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒)
 The process by which neutral atoms are changed into ions or neutral particles by the gain
or loss of electrons, is called ionization.
 Decomposition of an electrolyte into constituent ions in a solution or in molten state is
called electrolytic dissociation.
 In 1887, Arrhenius proposed a theory to explain the behaviour of electrolytes in a solution.
This theory, known as ionic theory of electrolytes, states that:
 Electrolytes exist in solutions in the form of ions and allow the flow of electric current
through them.
 The number of ions increases with dilution.
 The degree of dissociation is the limit to which an electrolyte can dissociate into ions.
 The flow of current is due to the movement of ions. Ions carry electric charge, and
therefore, the conductivity of the solution depends on the concentration of these ions.
 The ions having opposite signs constantly reunite to form the neutral molecules so that
in the solution there exists an equilibrium between ionized and unionized molecules.
 The total positive charge on all cations is equal to the total negative charge on all
anions. It makes the solution electrically neutral.
 Electrochemical Series: It is a series in which metals or non-metals are arranged in
decreasing order of their tendency to lose or gain electrons. In other words, electrochemical
series is a table of ions, atoms or molecules arranged in decreasing order of their strength
as oxidizing agents or in the increasing order of their strength as reducing agents. The
electrochemical series is also known as activity series.

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 Selective discharge of Ions: It is the preferential discharge of ions present in an electrolyte
at the respective electrodes.
The factors that influence the selective discharge of ions are:
 The relative positions of ions in the electrochemical series.
 Concentration of ions in the electrolyte
 Nature of electrodes
 Applications of Electrolysis: The three main applications of electrolysis are:
 Electroplating: The electrolytic deposition of a thin film of a superior metal (like Ag,
Ni, Cr, Au, etc.) on the surface of a metallic object of inferior metal (like Cu, Fe, Zn,
etc.) is called electroplating. For example, silver plating, nickel plating, etc.
 Electrorefining or Purification of metals:
Refining of an impure metal into a pure metal by the process of electrolysis is called
electrorefining. For example, electrorefining of copper, zinc, silver, lead, etc.
 Electrometallurgy: The extraction of metals from their ores by the process of
electrolysis is called electrometallurgy. For example,
(i) Sodium is extracted by the electrolysis of fused caustic soda (Caster’s Process) or
fused sodium chloride (Down’s process).
(ii) Aluminium is extracted by the electrolysis of bauxite  Al2O3  dissolved in fused
cryolite  Na2 AlF6  [Hall-Heroult’s Process].

Acids, Bases and Salts as Electrolytes

 An acid is an electrolyte which when dissolved in water forms hydrogen ions as the only
positive ions. Those acids which get completely dissociated into ions in water are called
strong acids. Those acids that get feebly dissociated in water are called weak acids.
 Acids, soluble in water, react with metals that come before hydrogen in the electrochemical
series to liberate hydrogen and form respective salts.

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 Zn  H 2 SO4  dil.  ZnSO4  H 2 
Zinc Zincsulphate Hydrogen
Sulphuricacid

 In contrast to weak acids, strong acids react with oxides of metals to form salt and water.
CuO  H 2 SO4  dil.  CuSO4  H 2O
Copper  II  oxide Sulphuricacid Zincsulphate Hydrogen

 Soluble salts enter an exchange reaction with acids only if the salt formed in the reaction
is insoluble, or if the acid formed is either insoluble, weak or unstable.
 A base is an electrolyte which when dissolved in water dissociates into a positively charged
metal ion and a negatively charged hydroxyl ion. Those bases which dissociate completely,
or almost completely, into ions are called strong bases. Those bases which dissociate
partially into ions are called weak bases.
 Caustic alkalis like NaOH and KOH on being heated with metals like Zn, Sn, Al, etc.,
liberate hydrogen gas.
Zn  2 NaOH  aq   Na2 ZnO2  H 2 
Zinc Sodiumzincate Hydrogen
Sodiumhydroxide

Zn  2 NaOH  aq   Na2 ZnO2  H 2 

Zinc Potassiumzincate Hydrogen
Potassiumhydroxide

 Strong alkalis react with oxides of certain metals like Zn, Sn and Al to form complex salt
and water.
ZnO  2 NaOH  aq   Na2 ZnO2  H 2O
Zincoxide Sodiumzincate Water
Sodiumhydroxide

 A salt is an electrolyte made up of a positive ion other than the hydroxyl ion. When
dissolved in water, or fused, it dissociates into free mobile ions.

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