Which electrode is called the anode in a polarized device?

Which electrode is called the anode in a polarized device?

• A. Anode
• B. Cathode
• C. Anion
• D. Cation

Answer: (A)

In a polarized device, the anode is defined by where oxidation occurs—the electrode where electrons are produced and then flow out into the external circuit. That makes it the site where the oxidation half-reaction takes place. The opposite end, where reduction happens, is the cathode. Anions and cations are simply ions in solution and are not electrodes, so they don’t correspond to electrode names. For example, in electrolysis, the anode is where water loses electrons to form oxygen gas, while the cathode is where reduction occurs and hydrogen gas may form.

In a polarized device, the anode is defined by where oxidation occurs—the electrode where electrons are produced and then flow out into the external circuit. That makes it the site where the oxidation half-reaction takes place. The opposite end, where reduction happens, is the cathode. Anions and cations are simply ions in solution and are not electrodes, so they don’t correspond to electrode names. For example, in electrolysis, the anode is where water loses electrons to form oxygen gas, while the cathode is where reduction occurs and hydrogen gas may form.