Electrolysis of Copper sulfate

Electrolysis of Copper Sulfate

Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to break down a chemical compound. When a solution of copper sulfate (CuSO₄) is electrolyzed using copper electrodes, copper is transferred from one electrode to another.

Materials Required:

• Copper sulfate solution
• Two copper electrodes
• Battery or power supply
• Connecting wires
• Beaker

Process:

When electric current passes through the copper sulfate solution:

• At the cathode (negative terminal), Cu²⁺ ions in the solution accept electrons and get reduced to form solid copper, which gets deposited on the electrode.
• At the anode (positive terminal), solid copper from the electrode releases electrons and dissolves into the solution as Cu²⁺ ions.

Chemical Reactions:

• At cathode: Cu²⁺ + 2e⁻ → Cu (deposition of copper)
• At anode: Cu → Cu²⁺ + 2e⁻ (copper dissolves)

Observation:

The copper anode gradually dissolves and becomes thinner, whereas the copper cathode gains deposited copper and becomes thicker. The blue color of the copper sulfate solution stays mostly the same throughout the process.

Applications:

• Used in purification of copper in industries.
• Used in electroplating to coat objects with copper.

The electrolysis of copper sulfate is a simple yet important experiment that shows how electricity can bring about chemical changes and is useful in real-world applications like metal purification.