Electrolytic vs Galvanic cell?

[Guest skiboot]

Hi,

 

I'm a little confused about the electrolytic cell...

 

Since the battery in an electrolytic cell forces the electrons to adopt a direction that they would otherwise not take, does this mean that if the battery was removed, that the cathode would become the anode and the anode the cathode, and then the cell would simply operate as a galvanic cell?

 

Anyone?

[Guest T dawg 2004]

Yes. That sounds about right.

 

A couple quick pneumonic device to remember GALVANIC cells:

 

Leo says Ger

(Lose Electrons Oxidation, Gain Electrons Reduction)

 

An Ox, Red Cat

(Anode = Oxidation; Reducation = Cathode)

 

Now, taking the second one:

An ox is a beast of burden and gets worked to the bone - so it's the one that usually loses mass.

 

A Cat is usually spoiled rotten, and gets really fat - so it's the one that usually gains mass.

 

 

FOR ELECTROLYTIC CELLS THE BATTERY DRIVES THE REVERSE PROCESS. (BUT STILL, THE "AN OX, RED CAT" WILL APPLY - MAKE SURE TO TRACE THE PATH OF THE ELECTRONS COMING OUT OF THE SHORT SIDE OF THE BATTERY THEN USE "LEO SAYS GER" TO FIND OUT WHERE OXIDATION IS OCCURING).

 

REMOVE THE BATTERY AND IT WILL REVERT TO THE GALVANIC CELL THAT IT WOULD NATURALLY BE. (AGAIN, "AN OX, RED CAT" STILL WORKS! SO DOES LEO SAYS GER!)

[Guest UTStudent03]

Another memory device for oxidation/reduction:

 

OIL RIG

 

Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons), Reduction Is Gain (of electrons).

[Guest skiboot]

Thanks

 

I understand an ox, red cat. I just wasn't sure if everything simply got reversed (ie) electrons flow to the cathode, so whatever was the cathode in the electrolytic cell will become the anode in the galvanic cell, and the 1/2 reactions will then be reversed.