Question

Is electroplating spontaneous or non-spontaneous?

Answer 1

Explanation:

1. Spontaneous reactions are defined as combustion processes by a combination of diminishing energy and increasing entropy.
2. A non-spontaneous reaction does not favor the formation of products under the given set of circumstances.
3. An electrolytic cell is a non-spontaneous electrochemical cell with non-spontaneous chemistry.
4. This implies that oxidation will not occur spontaneously at the anode, and that reduction at the cathode will not be random.
5. The anode of an electrolytic cell is positive because electrons flow from it, whereas the cathode is negative when electrons flow into it. In that regard, the gadget works like a galvanic cell.
6. In an electrolytic cell, an external voltage is used to induce a non-spontaneous reaction.

Hence, electroplating is non-spontaneous.