28 ELECTROLYSIS. 



CHAPTER III. 



WORK ABSORBED IN ELECTROLYSIS. 



General Formula} Amount of Work required for the Decomposition of 

 Water Electrolysis of a Binary Compound with a Metallic Basis 

 Electrolysis of Ternary Compounds Of the Chemical Actions in an 

 Electrolyte Sprague's Law Limits of Electrolysis Of the Use of 

 Soluble Anodes Practical Determination of the Electromotive Force and 

 of Metallic Eesistances. 



GENERAL FORMULA. The work absorbed in an electrolytic 

 operation is composed of a work corresponding to the heat 

 developed by the inverted formation of the constituents of the 

 bath and of the work corresponding to the heat which is absorbed 

 by the conductor, in the whole length of the circuit. 



One of these two expenditures of work is invariable for every 

 electrolyte and cannot be modified by the practitioner ; it is that 

 which is required by the counter electromotive force ; the other 

 expenditure, which is dependent on the resistance of the circuit, 

 can, on the contrary, be reduced by means of various devices 

 such as the use of electrodes of large dimensions, baths of a 

 greater conductivity, reduction of the distance between the baths 

 and the generator, use of large size conducting cables, reduction 

 of the distance between the electrodes, increase of the tempera- 

 ture, &c. 



The calculation of the work required for the decomposition 

 proper is therefore the only one of the two which can be 

 determined with mathematical correctness ; that relating to 

 the resistances can only be approximately valued for each par- 

 ticular application. 



Calling 



C the intensity of the current, in amperes ; 



E the counter electromotive force in volts ; 



R the total resistance of the circuit in ohms ; 



