What is meant by electrolysis of water?

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Solution

Electrolysis of water is breaking down of water into hydrogen and oxygen by passing electricity through it.
Distilled water is a poor conductor of electricity, so water is made conducting by adding a small amount of electrolyte.

The following chemical reaction takes place when we pass electricity through water during electrolysis:

$2 H_{2} O \to 2 H_{2} + O_{2}$
Hydrogen gas is liberated at cathode and oxygen gas is liberated at anode.

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