Question

Which of the following is incorrect in a galvanic cell?
A.Oxidation occurs at anode
B.Reduction occurs at cathode
C.The electrode at which electrons are gained is called cathode
D.The electrode at which electrons are lost is called cathode.

Answer 1

Hint: Anode is a negatively charged electrode whereas Cathode is positively charged electrode. Thus, a potential difference develops between two electrodes of the galvanic cell. Electrons flow from negative charge to positively charged, that is electrons will flow from negative charged anode to positively charged cathode.

Complete step by step answer:
Galvanic cells also known as Voltaic are type of electrochemical cell in which both oxidation and reduction occur so oxidation occurs at cathode and also anode is negatively charged ions are present whereas reduction occurs at cathode and positively charged ions are present at cathode. As we electrons are negatively charged so electrons flow from negative to positive that is from anode to cathode. So, the gain of electrons happens at cathode and losing of electrons happens at anode because it is negatively charged. So, anode has negative polarity in galvanic cells whereas cathode has positive polarity in galvanic cells keeping this in mind, it is evitable that electrons being negatively charged will flow towards the opposite charge, that is positive charge which is Cathode. So, Oxidation occurs at Anode, Reduction occurs at Cathode is right. And also, the electrode at which electrons are gained is called Cathode is right.
Therefore, the correct answer is option (D), the electrode at which electrons are lost is Cathode.

Note: The galvanic cell is used to supply electric current through a redox reaction to the transfer of electrons. It converts the energy released by a spontaneous chemical reaction to electrical energy. It is typically a source of electrical power and is an example of how to use simple reactions between a few elements to harness the energy.