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Cu²⁺ in solution
100%
Cu deposited
0.00 g
Time
0 s
How to use: Click Switch on power. The battery pushes
electrons through the wires, making the left electrode negative (the
cathode) and the right electrode positive (the anode).
Blue Cu²⁺ ions drift to the cathode and
turn into copper metal. Orange SO₄²⁻ ions
drift to the anode where oxygen bubbles form. Watch the blue colour fade as
Cu²⁺ ions leave the solution.
Notice: the solution fades from blue to colourless. That's because Cu²⁺
ions are being removed from the solution — they gain electrons at the
cathode and become solid copper. Meanwhile oxygen bubbles form at the anode.
The sulfate ions don't change — they're just spectators. This is how copper is
purified in industry.