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A molten mixture of aluminium oxide and cryolite is electrolysed to manufacture aluminium. At which electrode does the aluminium form?

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A molten mixture of aluminium oxide and cryolite is electrolysed to manufacture aluminium. At which
electrode does the aluminium form?

A molten mixture of aluminium oxide and cryolite is electrolysed to manufacture aluminium. At which electrode does the aluminium form?

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PenelopeMaster · Tutor for 5 years

Answer

Aluminum forms at the cathode (negative electrode).

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<br />During electrolysis, the Al^3+ ions are attracted to a specific electrode depending on the charge. Al^3+ are positive ions. They are attracted to the electrode with the opposite charge because like charges repel each other and opposite charges attract each other. Therefore, the Al^3+ ions move towards the negative electrode, also known as the cathode. <br /><br />At the cathode, the Al^3+ ions gain electrons (which are negatively charged particles that reside in the electrode). This process is called reduction. Through reduction, the Al^3+ ions are transformed into neutral Al atoms. These Al atoms immediately coagulate to form aluminum metal. <br /><br />Since aluminum forms at the electrode where reduction takes place (the negative electrode), we can conclude that:
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