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Applications of electrolysis

Answer Text:
APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROLYSIS
1. Extraction of reactive metals
-Reactive metals/elements like sodium, magnesium, aluminum are extracted form their compounds by electrolysis.
Example: Sodium is extracted from molten sodium chloride using carbon electrodes.
2. Purification of metals
-It can be used in refining impure metals Examples: Refining copper
- The impure copper is made of the anode.
- Their strips of copper are used as the cathode
- Copper (II) Sulphate are used as the electrolyte.
- During the electrolysis the anode dissolves and pure copper is deposited on the cathode.
- The impurities (including valuable amounts of silver and gold) from the crude copper collect as a sludge become the anode.
3. Electroplating
-Is the process of coating one metal with another, using electrolysis so as to reduce corrosion or to improve its appearance.
During electrolysis:
- the item to be electroplated is made the cathode
- the metal to be used in electroplating is used as the anode
- the electrolyte is made from a solution containing the ions of the metal to be sued in
electroplating.
Examples
- Gold-plated watches; silver
– plated utensils
- Steel utensils marked EPNS. I.e. Electroplated Nickel Silver.
4. Anodizing Aluminum Is the reinforcement of the oxide coating on Aluminum utensils/articles Is done by electrolysis of dilute sulphuric acid using
Aluminum articles as anode.
Importance: Prevention corrosion of Aluminum articles