Editing Electrolytic cell (section)

==Applications==
[[File:ElectrolyticReduction.ogg|thumb|right|A video describing the process of electrolytic reduction as used on [[Captain Kidd's Cannon]] at [[The Children's Museum of Indianapolis]]]]
Electrolytic cells are often used to decompose chemical compounds, in a process called [[electrolysis]]—with ''electro'' meaning ''electricity''<ref>{{Cite dictionary |title=electro&mdash; |encyclopedia=[[Collins English Dictionary]] (online) |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/electro |access-date=November 4, 2023}}</ref> and the Greek word ''[[lysis]]'' means ''to break up''. Important examples of electrolysis are the decomposition of [[water]] into [[hydrogen]] and [[oxygen]], and [[bauxite]] into [[aluminium|aluminum]] and other chemicals. [[Electroplating]] (e.g., of copper, silver, nickel, or chromium) is done using an electrolytic cell. Electrolysis is a technique that uses a direct electric current (DC).

Commercially, electrolytic cells are used in the electrorefining and [[electrowinning]] of several non-ferrous metals. Most high-purity [[aluminium|aluminum]], [[copper]], [[zinc]], and [[lead]] are produced industrially in electrolytic cells.

As already noted, water, particularly when ions are added (saltwater or acidic water), can be ''electrolyzed'' (subjected to electrolysis). When driven by an external source of voltage, hydrogen (H{{Su|p=+}}) ions flow to the cathode to combine with electrons to produce hydrogen gas in a reduction reaction. Likewise, hydroxide (OH{{Su|p=−}}) ions flow to the anode to release electrons and a hydrogen (H{{Su|p=+}}) ion to produce oxygen gas in an oxidation reaction.

In molten sodium chloride (NaCl), when a current is passed through the salt the anode oxidizes chloride ions (Cl{{Su|p=−}}) to chlorine gas, it releases electrons to the anode. Likewise, the cathode reduces sodium ions (Na{{Su|p=+}}), which accepts electrons from the cathode and deposits them on the cathode as sodium metal.

Sodium chloride that has been dissolved in water can also be electrolyzed. The anode oxidizes the chloride ions (Cl{{Su|p=−}}), and produces chlorine (Cl<sub>2</sub>) gas, and, depending on the pH of the solution, can produce [[Hypochlorous acid]]. However, at the cathode, instead of sodium ions being reduced to sodium metal, water molecules are reduced to hydroxide ions (OH{{Su|p=−}}) and hydrogen gas (H<sub>2</sub>). The overall result of the electrolysis is the production of [[chlorine]] gas at the anode, aqueous hypochlorous acid as the [[anolyte]], hydrogen gas at the cathode, and aqueous [[sodium hydroxide]] (NaOH) as the catholyte. Industrially, this is known as the [[chloralkali process]].