Electrolysis is used to extract reactive metals from their salts. The document explains that during electrolysis of copper chloride, the negative chloride ions move to the positive electrode and the positive copper ions move to the negative electrode. It provides the half reactions that show that at the negative electrode, copper ions gain electrons to form copper atoms, and at the positive electrode, chloride ions lose electrons to form chlorine molecules.

1. Electrolysis 09/05/11 Electrolysis is used to extract a HIGHLY REACTIVE metal. When we electrolysed copper chloride the negative chloride ions moved to the positive electrode and the positive copper ions moved to the negative electrode – OPPOSITES ATTRACT!!! = chloride ion = copper ion

2. Electrolysis equations 09/05/11 We need to be able to write “half equations” to show what happens during electrolysis (e.g. for copper chloride): 2 2 2 At the negative electrode the positive ions GAIN electrons to become neutral copper ATOMS. The half equation is: Cu 2+ + e - Cu At the positive electrode the negative ions LOSE electrons to become neutral chlorine MOLECULES. The half equation is: Cl - - e - Cl 2