Faraday’s Second Law of Electrolysis

Faraday's Second Law of Electrolysis states that the amount of a substance produced at an electrode during electrolysis is directly proportional to the amount of electrical charge passing through the electrode. In other words, the amount of product formed is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity passed through the electrolyte.

The law is expressed mathematically as:

m = Z I t

Where:

 

m is the mass of the substance produced at the electrode in grams

Z is the electrochemical equivalent of the substance, which is the mass of the substance produced by the passage of one coulomb of electricity

I is the current passing through the electrode in amperes

t is the time for which the current flows through the electrode in seconds.

Faraday's Second Law can be used to calculate the amount of product formed during an electrolysis reaction, given the current, time, and the electrochemical equivalent of the substance. It can also be used to determine the electrochemical equivalent of a substance, given the amount of product formed and the electrical charge passed through the electrode.

 

Faraday's Second Law is an important principle in the field of electrochemistry and has practical applications in various industries, such as the production of metals, electroplating, and the manufacturing of chemicals.