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Electrolysis question 2

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wachanna:
I have no conventional education besides elementary school and what i learned myself. I know im supposed to show what i think happens but i don't know, thats why i am here. To try to learn. If i have 2 electrodes, one copper, one silver, and put them into a sodium hydroxide solution, and apply voltage, will silver be plated on copper or vice versa? What voltage would this occur and or not occur? What would be the overall reaction/s occuring?

Borek:
Broadly speaking yes, with a correct electrolyte choice you can get one electrode to dissolve and deposit on the other, in the case of Ag/Cu chances are it can be done both ways, depending on which electrode is connected to + and which to - (or, in more chemical terms, which electrode is set up to be anode and which to be cathode of the cell).

But sodium hydroxide which you mention in every thread is a very bad electrolyte for that, one in which I doubt any plating will take place.

wachanna:

--- Quote from: Borek on July 04, 2021, 03:45:47 PM ---Broadly speaking yes, with a correct electrolyte choice you can get one electrode to dissolve and deposit on the other, in the case of Ag/Cu chances are it can be done both ways, depending on which electrode is connected to + and which to - (or, in more chemical terms, which electrode is set up to be anode and which to be cathode of the cell).

But sodium hydroxide which you mention in every thread is a very bad electrolyte for that, one in which I doubt any plating will take place.

--- End quote ---

Can you help me understand what reactions take place and why, please

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