What would be the order of the electrolytic cell in an industry intending the production of silver plated spoons?

Analysis of the Question

This question tests your understanding of Electroplating, which is a practical application of electrolysis. The goal is to coat an object (the spoon) with a thin layer of a metal (silver).

Concept Explanation

In electroplating, we use the principle of electrolytic deposition. To plate an object with a metal, you must follow these specific rules:

1. The Cathode (Negative Electrode): The object you want to plate must be connected to the negative terminal. During electrolysis, metal ions in the solution are attracted to the cathode, where they gain electrons (reduction) and deposit as a solid metal layer on the object.
2. The Anode (Positive Electrode): The metal you want to use for plating (in this case, silver) must be connected to the positive terminal. As the process continues, the anode dissolves into the electrolyte to replenish the silver ions being used up at the cathode.
3. The Electrolyte: This must be a solution containing the ions of the metal you are plating with (e.g., silver nitrate or silver cyanide) so that the ions can move through the solution to the cathode.

Step-by-Step Solution

• Step 1: Identify the object to be plated. The spoon is the object, so it must be the cathode.
• Step 2: Identify the plating metal. We are plating with silver, so the anode must be a silver rod.
• Step 3: Choose the electrolyte. To ensure silver ions are available to move to the spoon, the electrolyte must be a soluble silver salt.

Comparing this to the options provided:

• Option A correctly places the spoon at the cathode, the silver rod at the anode, and uses a soluble silver salt as the electrolyte.
• Option B reverses the roles of the spoon and the silver rod, which would result in the spoon dissolving rather than being plated.
• Options C and D are incorrect because they do not specify the correct material for the anode or cathode, which is essential for successful electroplating.

Exam Tip

Remember the mnemonic "C-A-N": Cathode Attracts Negative (or rather, the object to be plated is the Cathode). Always think of the object you want to "keep" (the plated spoon) as the one that needs to gain the metal, which happens at the cathode.