An electrode is a conductor that comes into contact with the earth. An electrode is a conductor that establishes electrical contact with a nonmetallic component of a circuit. In electrochemical batteries, semiconductors like diodes, and medical equipment, electrodes are frequently used. Electron transfer occurs at the electrode.
An electrode is categorized as either a cathode or an anode depending on the type of chemical reaction that occurs. It is referred to as an anode if it goes through the oxidation process (the loss of the electron).
It is categorized as a cathode if a reduction process occurs on it. Similar to a discharged battery, a gadget that uses conventional current has an anode and a cathode.
Between active electrodes and inactive electrodes, there are differences. Because it aids in the oxidation-reduction process, a magnesium electrode, for instance, is frequently regarded as an active electrode.
A platinum electrode is frequently inactive because it does not participate in the oxidation-reduction process. Chemically inactive, an inert electrode serves only to permit current to flow through the electrochemical cell.
What are the types of electrodes?
They are divided into two types:
Anode
An electrode known as an anode is one that enables a common current to flow into a polarized electrical device. A cathode, on the other hand, is an electrode that permits regular current to exit an electrical instrument. Anode current into the device, or ACID, is what it stands for.
BEST ARC J422 6013 WELDING ROD ELECTRODO E6013 3/32
Due to the fact that the path of conventional current in the circuit is the opposite of the direction of energy transfer, negatively charged electrons exit the anode of a galvanic cell and enter an external or external circuit connected to the cell. The anode is the conductor in a galvanic and electrolytic cell where the majority of oxidation occurs.
While regular current travels in the other direction, electrons move away from the anode. It is obvious that the electrode has negative energy. The nearby oxidation process provides the electron that reaches the anode.
Also Read: What is an Electric Current?
Cathode
An electrode where the regular current leaves a polarized electrical instrument is called a cathode. The abbreviation CCD, which stands for Cathode Current Departs, can help you recall this phrase. A conventional current can be used to characterize the direction that positive energy is moving in.
Due to their negative electrical charge, electrons travel in the exact opposite direction to how current normally flows. Since electrons are therefore flowing into the device’s cathode from the external circuit, the mnemonic “cathode current exits” also refers to this movement.
Since it is the positive electrode, it is assumed that electrons from the electrical circuit pass through the cathode and into the non-metallic portion of the electrochemical cell. The cathode is where the reduction process occurs, with the oxidizing agent consuming the electrons that come from the cathode’s cable.