Electrolysis: Extracting copper from copper sulphate solution

This little video shows how electrolysis can be used to extract copper from copper sulfate solution, using graphite electrodes.

Copper sulfate is an ionic compound. In solution, the positive and negative parts of the compound can move. Passing an electric current through the solution means that the anode is positively charged, and the cathode is negatively charged.  

Positive Cu2+ ions move towards the cathode, where they GAIN two electrons (OILRIG - copper ions are reduced) forming copper atoms which end up covering the cathode (negative electrode) with copper metal.

At the anode (positive electrode) the water in which the copper sulfate was dissolved in (to form the copper sulfate solution) forms 4H+ ions (in solution), O2 gas (which can be seen bubbling off) and 4e- (free electrons - which go into the anode to continue the electric current).

Make sure you understand what is happening in terms of electrons, and can describe each stage.

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