Chemistry · May / June 2023 · Paper 11 · Question 11

Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride is electrolysed using inert electrodes. Which row shows what happens in this electrolysis and why it happens?

1. Aoxygen is discharged at the anode; OH–(aq) loses electrons more easily than Cl–(aq)
2. Bduring electrolysis the pH of the electrolyte increases; the electrolysis in aqueous solution involves the reduction of H+(aq) ions
3. Csolid sodium is produced at the cathode; Na+(aq) is present in aqueous solution
4. Dthe products stay the same if the aqueous sodium chloride is replaced by molten sodium chloride; Na+ and Cl– are present in both molten and aqueous sodium chloride

As printed in the paper