What metals are extracted by electrolysis?
Electrolysis is the breakdown of chemical compounds by the passage of an electric current, with decomposition occuring at the elctrodes. An electrode is a conductor placed in a liquid electrolyte(Liquid that conducts electricity) One of the electrodes is negatively charged-the cathode and the other is positively charged- the anode. Reduction occurs at the cathode and oxidation at the anode. All metals above iron in the reactivity series (that is, potassium, sodium,calcim, magnesium and aluminium) are extracted by electrolysis. This is because they form too stable compounds that are difficult to reduce using simple reducing agents like carbon monoxide. They have to be extracted by the most powerful reducing agent which is none other than the cathode of the electrochemical cell. Anyways, all other metals can also be extracted from their ores using electrolysis but usually, if simple reduction is possible, it is prefered to electrolysis because of the cost (ELECTROLYSIS USES ELECTRICITY,
