GENERAL CONCEPT OF ELECTROLYTIC CELLS AND ELECTROLYSIS

Chemical energy can be converted into electrical energy with the help of galvanic cell.Passing of electricity through an electrolyte may bring about a chemical change.This was shown experimentally by Humphrey Davy when he isolated potassium by passing electricity through molten potassium hydroxide


ELECTROLYSIS

An electrolytic solution or a molten electrolyte contain free ion.these ions can move freely through out the solution.when an electrical potential is applied across the solution, when an electrical potential is applied across the solution ions move towards the respective electrodes:CATION move toward the cathode and ANION move towards the anode.on reaching the electrode surface these ions takes part in chemical reaction.The cation get reduced at cathode while anion get oxidized at anode.The product of these electrode reaction
  
   a)may get deposited at electrode surface 
   b)may go out in the form of gaseous product

  
  Thus,an electrolyte gets decomposed into its constituents by the passage of electricity The process of chemical decomposition of an electrolyte in solution or molten state by passage of electric current is called electrolysis.