[sanado]

Hey guys, was just wondering why must the electrolyte be molten when you are producing Sodium. Im not the best chemistry student so can you please keep the answer as simple as possible? Thanks

[P]

Presumably so the ions can have mobility through the electrolyte. It would be hard for the sodium and the chlorine to separate and move to their respective electrodes though a solid crystal would it not?

[cliverlong]

Hey guys, was just wondering why must the electrolyte be molten when you are producing Sodium. Im not the best chemistry student so can you please keep the answer as simple as possible? Thanks

If the question means "why does sodium chlroide need to be molten rather than dissolved in water to produce sodium at one electrode?"

read

http://www.gcsescience.com/ex4.htm

then this

http://www.gcsescience.com/pt12.htm

and then accept that it takes more energy to free sodium than hydrogen at the cathode. So if H⁺ ions are present because the NaCl is dissolved in water, H₂ will get liberated before Na⁺. If there is no H⁺ (as is the case in molten sodium chloride) then Na⁺ is liberated at the cathode.


Clive