Question

Write any five difference between galvanic cell and electrolytic cell?

Answer 1

I assume they can't be redundant...

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1. The cathode is positive in a galvanic cell and negative in the electrolytic cell, because electrons are naturally attracted to and flow into a positive cathode. In an electrolytic cell, they are forced to flow into the cathode, so it is negatively-charged.
2. Electron flow is spontaneous in a galvanic cell and nonspontaneous in the electrolytic cell. Therefore, `DeltaG^@ < 0` and `E^@ > 0` for the former and vice versa for the latter at `25^@ "C"`.
3. A positive voltage is supplied at the cathode in an electrolytic cell, but voltage is generated in a galvanic cell.
4. Galvanic cells convert chemical energy into electrical energy and electrolytic cells do the opposite.

There is nothing else different (electrolytic cells do not have to be made as one single container). You can add whatever else you want here, but it will probably be already described above in a different wording.

• I could have separated out the `DeltaG^@` and `E^@` remark from `(2)`, but it really says the same thing as the first part as `(2)`.
• I could have said that electrons are forced to flow into the cathode for an electrolytic cell, but that says the same thing as `(3)` because the supplied positive voltage at the cathode does exactly that.
• I could have been cheeky and said the anode was negative in a galvanic cell and positive in the electrolytic cell... but I already mentioned the cathode in `(1)`.