17: Electrochemical Cells
- Page ID
- 49548
When an electrical current flows through matter, permanent chemical changes often occur. In some cases electrical energy supplied from an outside source can cause a chemical reaction to take place. Such a process is called electrolysis, and the system to which electricity is supplied is called an electrolytic cell. It is also possible to produce a flow of electricity as a result of a spontaneous chemical reaction. A chemical system which can cause a current to flow in this way is called a galvanic cell or a voltaic cell. Since an electrical current is a flow of electrons or other charged particles, it should come as no surprise that both electrolytic and galvanic cells involve redox reactions.
Contributors
Ed Vitz (Kutztown University), John W. Moore (UW-Madison), Justin Shorb (Hope College), Xavier Prat-Resina (University of Minnesota Rochester), Tim Wendorff, and Adam Hahn.