Chapter 21: Electrochemistry Introduction

Batteries are the most familiar use of chemistry to generate electricity. We use batteries to provide power for everything from children's toys to laptop computers. How much electricity can theoretically be obtained from a particular chemical reaction? What conditions are needed to create various batteries?

One use of electricity is to make electrons a reactant. This type of electrochemical reaction is called electrolysis. We use electrolysis in metal plating and in the manufacture of many metals. Aluminum production, for example, depends upon the electrolytic reduction of aluminum oxide.

Knowing about electrochemistry is very helpful in a variety of real-world applications. We can, for instance, keep steel items from rusting by coating them with zinc (making galvanized steel -- see chapter-opening photo). Anodic protection is another method of rust prevention that we discuss in this chapter.

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