Galvanic Cells and Electrolytic Cells

Galvanic cells and Electrolytic cells are two different kinds of cells used in the production of electrolysis. In the past, electrolytic cells were smaller in size than their present day counterparts. The main reason for this is that the function of producing electricity was limited to this small space in the past. This is because the voltage generated was low and only used for small scale industries where power was required at a low cost to operate. However, this device was later on improved using new materials and techniques which led to its use in various industries. Today, most modern devices use both Galvanic cells and Electrolytic cells together in their production process as one can’t be separated from another fully.

What are Galvanic cells?

Galvanic cells are basically the containers where an electrolytic reaction takes place. They are made up of two different metals which helps in the production of electricity. The two main components used for this are Zinc and Copper. These main components find its application in both the circuit as separators and positive and negative electrodes. This is also known as a voltaic cell, which produces direct current (DC) at a low rate of 2V and cannot be modified to operate at high voltages. This can only produce electrical energy by taking advantage of the ions on the surface of the electrode which has been depleted due to electrolysis .

Functions of Galvanic Cells:

The main function of Galvanic cells is to produce electrical energy by taking advantage of the ions on the surface of the electrode which have been depleted due to electrolysis. The energy that is produced can be used for a number of tasks depending on their output. However, their overall use is to produce direct current at a low rate. The energy produced depends on various factors like:

The voltage generated between the electrodes

The amount of current supplied to the electrodes

The resistance offered by each electrode

The concentration of solutes in both the electrodes

What are Electrolytic cells?

Electrolytic cells are basically used for the production of electricity using electrolysis. This is mainly done using the type of electrolyte which is used to conduct the electrical current between two electrodes in addition to a galvanic cell. This will allow one to produce electrical energy at a higher rate. Since this type of cell is connected with a galvanic cell, these two components will interact with each other and produce electricity by using an electrolytic reaction . The main component used for this is zinc which finds its application in both the circuit as a metal and in electrolyte due to its high solubility.

Functions of Electrolytic cells:

The main function of Electrolytic cells is to produce electricity by using the electrolytic reaction . The voltage generated in this case depends on various factors like:

Zinc concentration in the electrolyte (which is used as a current collector)

The amount of current supplied to the electrodes

The concentration of zinc ions in the electrolyte which is used as a current collector

Difference between Galvanic Cells and  Electrolytic cells:

These two components are used together to produce electricity at a high rate of power. The main difference between Galvanic cells and Electrolytic cells is that according to them, electrolytic cells have the ability to produce electricity at a high rate, whereas Galvanic cells can only operate at a low rate of 2V . Some other key differences are:

1) Galvanic cells can process a lower voltage (2V ) compared to Electrolytic cells which can run at voltages of 4 – 30V

2) In electrolytic cells, the zinc ions are on the surface of the electrode while in Galvanic cells they are in the electrolyte.

3) The zinc ions on the surface of an electrode cannot be removed from it which means that it is not possible to run a current continuously using this type of cell

4) Because, both these components work at a low rate, there is no need for these two components to be linked together as one cannot operate without another fully. This way, only one is required for use.

5) Since they are used together, a galvanic cell cannot be run continuously as it will not yield high voltage

6) Galvanic cells can be used to produce only DC at a low rate. In Electrolytic cells, the electrical energy can be produced at a much higher rate of voltage which ranges from 6 to 30V

7) The electrolyte in Electrolytic cells contains zinc ions while in Galvanic cells these are in the electrodes . Thus their production has been made easier.

The use of both the components yields very less noise because they work together to generate electricity. If one of them is subjected to excessive heat , then some other components may get damaged.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, both these components work in a very similar manner. Depending on the type of electrolyte used and the condition under which they are operated, they can produce electricity at a high or low rate. These components are very useful for daily life as an alternative source to power batteries . This way, several electrical instruments can be run using these components by using different types of electrolytes for each one of them.

The use of these two components also helps to reduce pollution as they do not emit any harmful gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). It is also possible to create different types of cells which can help to reduce their production cost and thus make them affordable for everyone.