Anode and Cathode

[collegelife101]

Hello everyone,

I understand that the anode and cathode is always the side of oxidation and reduction, respectively. However, I recently encountered a picture of a single-wire proportional chamber on a practice passage where it shows that electrons are attracted to the anode. Does this mean that the cell is an electrolytic cell, since the anode is positively charged? I guess I'm a little confused because I thought that even in an electrolytic cell, the anode would be positive but would not attract electrons. Rather, as the site of oxidation, wouldn't electrons move away from it?

Thanks!

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[SuperSneaky24]

Edit: Had to edit my post cause I assumed something wrong. It's all good now.

I just remember it by thinking of galvanic cells as the batteries we typically know. Remember that conventional current deals with positive charges, but the actual flow of electrons is the opposite. It's like this because physicists used to assume the flow of electricity was via positive charges, hence the use of conventional current. However, we now know it's actually the opposite, but it was too late to change our conventions.

No matter what, electrons flow from anode to cathode.

In galvanic cells, the cathode is positive and the anode is negative. Therefore, electrons travel from anode to cathode. Conventional current is the opposite, flowing from cathode to anode.

In electrolytic cells, flip the charges. The anode is now positive and the cathode is now negative. It would make sense that electrons flow from cathode to anode here, as that would mean electrons flow from negative to positive. However, remember that this is a non-spontaneous reaction and there is an input of energy involved. Therefore, the input of energy causes the unfavorable reaction to proceed, causing electorns to flow from anode to cathode, thus building up charge.

 

[Czarcasm]

Hello everyone,

I understand that the anode and cathode is always the side of oxidation and reduction, respectively. However, I recently encountered a picture of a single-wire proportional chamber on a practice passage where it shows that electrons are attracted to the anode. Does this mean that the cell is an electrolytic cell, since the anode is positively charged? I guess I'm a little confused because I thought that even in an electrolytic cell, the anode would be positive but would not attract electrons. Rather, as the site of oxidation, wouldn't electrons move away from it?

Thanks!

Actually, I'm gonna edit my post since I'm not entirely sure how factual everything I've mentioned is -- I don't wanna give the wrong info.

 

[collegelife101]

Thank you for your response. I understand the sign notion for the galvanic/electrolytic cells but was confused with one website. On one webpage, it stated that

• The anode is the positively charged electrode.
• The anode attracts electrons or anions.
• The anode may be a source of positive charge or an electron acceptor.

Does the anode ever accept electrons? I'm not exactly sure what the last two bullets are referring to.
Thanks!

 

[SuperSneaky24]

Ha, answering this question confused me a lil as well. Excuse me for editing my own post, but I found this response was better than the one I gave before.

So this pic I found from another StudentDoctor thread should clarify things up.

http://imgur.com/L44pg

The anode is an electron acceptor in the sense that it always attracts anions, and thus negative charge. This is what gives it the negative charge to push electrons away from the anode towards the cathode.