Investigate whether changing voltage will affect the rate of Electrolysis.

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Electrolysis Coursework  

Aim; To investigate whether changing voltage will affect the rate of Electrolysis.

Prediction; I predict that by increasing the voltage the rate of Electrolysis increase therefore producing a straight line graph.

Hypothesis; In relation to my prediction, voltage is the force that pushes the electrical currents around. 

The flow of electrons around a circuit is the current. If I increase the voltage, this will provide a further push for the electrons to move more freely.

The Electrolyte we used for this investigation was Copper Sulphate. For there to be more Copper Sulphate dissolved, I will have to double the voltage, this means double the push of electrons.

At the negative Cathode, impure copper is forced, this is due to the fact that copper has a 2+ charge, and it will move to a negative electrode, in this case the negative Cathode. When the copper Ions are attracted by the Cathode they are called Cations, but in this case the sulphate from the Copper Sulphate solution will not be attracted to the Anode electrode. Instead Oxygen from the water (which the CuSO4 was dissolved) is separated, leaving hydrogen and oxygen. Because oxygen is a non-metal it has a minus charge. In this case it has a 2-. This mean it is attracted by the positive Anode, therefore the oxygen is an Anion.

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Quotes; A compound that conducts when molten or in solution is called an electrolyte. If a pair of electrodes is placed in a solution of an electrolyte, and a source of direct current is connected between them, the positive ions (cations) in the solution move towards the negative electrode (cathode), and the negative ions (anions) move towards the positive electrode (anode),Author; Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia 2002.

 

Half Equations

At the Anode (+):

 Cu(s) = Cu2+ + 2e-

         

What happens here is that the copper at the Anode releases copper ions and electrons, ...

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