The Faraday Law of Electrolysis

THE FARADAY LAW OF ELECTROLYSIS

IIn his researches Faraday studied also the electrolysis. He used the electrolytic cell with some solution inside. In the solution he assumed the subsistence of the N number of atoms of some element. Each of those particles had the same mass m. and the positive charge q. Next he assumed that the whole electric charge passage through the electrolyte was transferred only by those atoms. During the passage of current the N_x number of those atoms was collected at the negative electrode. The mass of the electrodeposit M_x is equal:

(1)

The whole charge passage Q through that electrolyte is equal:

(2)

Dividing the first formula by the second one we get:

(3)

So the M_x can be calculated from it. It is equal:

(4)

The mass m of the element can be shown as the product of that element's atomic weight and the constant d equal 1/12th of the carbon's atomic weight:

(5)

We can also assume that the charge q of the particle is the product of that element's valence number and some elementary charge q₀:

(6)

The whole charge passage Q through the electrolyte is also the product of the current intensity I and the time of current passage t:

(7)

So the formula no.4:

(8)

is now in the following shape:

(9)

One of the formula's elements d/₀ is constant. So let's name it F:

(10)

The inference is that the mass of the electrodeposit should equal the product of the current intensity I, the time of current passage t, some constant F and the division of the element's atomic weight by its valence number.
The experiment affirmed that. So when the subsistence of some elementary portion of charge was assumed, the theory was in agreement with the experiment.
Faraday however wasn't quite sure about the idea of the granular consistence of current.

THE 19th CENTURY