CLASS VIII
SCIENCE
GIST
CHAPER: CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC
CURRENT
◼ The materials which allow electricity to pass through them are good
conductors of electricity .
◼ The materials which do not allow electric current to pass through them
easily are called poor conductors of electricity
◼ Metals such as copper and aluminium conduct electricity whereas materials
such as rubber, plastic and wood do not conduct electricity.
◼ A tester can be used to identify whether a solid substance can conduct
electricity or not.
◼ Activity 11.1
◼ Different types of testers can be used for this purpose. Wires, battery, and a
torch bulb are the components required to prepare a tester.
◼ A tester can be used to test conduction of electricity in different liquids.
◼ Activity 11.2
◼ The bulb might not glow if liquid is non-conducting making the circuit
incomplete or if electric current is weak ( when the circuit is made up of a
material which is not a good conductor of electricity) or if there is
insufficient energy in the battery to generate electricity.
◼ Electric current cannot flow in the circuit if there is an air gap between the
free ends of the tester because air is a poor conductor of electricity.
◼ When current flowing through the circuit is very weak, a tester with LEDs or
magnetic needle may be used.
◼ Activity 11.3
◼ LED-Light Emitting Diode. LED has two terminals- positive and negative.
The positive terminal is longer. LED can detect very weak currents.
◼ The different effects which current can produce is heating effect, magnetic
effect and chemical effect.
◼ Liquids can be classified as good conductors E.g.: Lemon juice, Vinegar,Tap
water, etc. and bad conductors E.g.: Distilled water, sugar solution, kerosene
◼ CONDUCTION THROUGH ◼ CONDUCTION THROUGH
SOLIDS LIQUIDS
◼ Conduction is due to flow of ◼ Conduction is due to flow of ions
electrons ◼ Exception liquid metal e.g. Hg
◼ Flow of electricity takes place ◼ Flow of electricity takes place
without the decomposition of the with the decomposition of the
substance. substance.
◼ Only physical changes take place ◼ Physical and Chemical changes
take place
▪ Water may be good conductor or poor conductor of electricity.
▪ If there remain dissolved impurities, water becomes good conductor of
electricity.
▪ The water that we get from sources such as taps, hand pumps, wells and
ponds is not pure and may contain several salts dissolved in it. This water is
thus a good conductor of electricity. Thus, we should never handle electrical
appliances with wet hands.
◼ Distilled water does not contain any dissolved impurities, so it is a poor
conductor of electricity.
◼ Activity 11.4
◼ Most liquids that conduct electricity are solutions of acids, bases and salts.
◼ Activity 11.5
◼ Some fruits and vegetables can conduct electricity.
◼ Chemical effects of electric current:- When an electric current
flow through a liquid, it produces a chemical effect.
◼ Activity 11.6
◼ The chemical effect produced in the liquid by passing an electric current
through it is decomposition of the liquid which is known as Electrolysis.
◼ The component parts in electrolysis are cathode, anode, and the electrolytic
cell.
◼ Substances which undergo chemical decomposition and are able to conduct
electricity in the molten state or in the aqueous solution state are called
electrolytes.
◼ Electroplating: The process of depositing a layer of any desired metal on
another material by means of electricity is called electroplating. The layer of
metal deposited has some desired property which the metal of the object
lacks.
◼ Activity 11.7
◼ A practical application of electroplating is purification of copper
◼ Electroplating is widely used in the Industry for coating metal
objects with a layer of a different metal.
◼ Eg.Chromium plating is done on many objects because chromium has a
shiny appearance, it does not corrode and is resistant to scratches.
◼ Galvanisation is a coating of zinc deposited on iron. It protects iron from
getting corroded.
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