In the electrolysis of water, a) Name the gas collected at anode and cathode b) Why is the volume of gas collected at one electrode double than the other? c) What would happen if dilute H2SO4 is not added to water?

In the electrolysis of water:

A) Gas Collected at Anode and Cathode:
At the anode (positive electrode): Oxygen gas (O2) is collected.
At the cathode (negative electrode): Hydrogen gas (H2) is collected.

B) Volume of Gas Collected:
The volume of gas collected at one electrode is double that of the other due to the stoichiometry of the electrolysis reaction. The electrolysis of water involves the decomposition of water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen gases according to the balanced chemical equation:
2H2O (l) → 2H2 (g) + O2 (g)
As per this equation, for every two moles of hydrogen gas produced, one mole of oxygen gas is produced. Since the volume of gases in a chemical reaction is directly proportional to the number of moles, the volume of hydrogen gas collected will be double that of oxygen gas.

C) Role of Dilute H2SO4:
(i) The addition of dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to water is essential in electrolysis because pure water is a poor conductor of electricity.
H2SO4 provides ions which increase the conductivity of the solution. This allows the flow of electric current between the electrodes, facilitating the electrolysis process.

(ii) If dilute H2SO4 is not added, the electrolysis of water would proceed very slowly, or in some cases, it may not occur at all due to the lack of ions in the water to carry the electric current. The presence of ions is necessary for the completion of the electrical circuit and the movement of electrons during electrolysis.

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