Electrode-Solution Interface: Distribution of Ions around an Electrode

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What happens if a bar of a noble metal is immersed in an electrolyte solution such as ? Due to the difference between the electric potential of the metal and the electrode-solution interface, the ions will move to equalize the total charge. This Demonstration shows the distribution of ions (cation
and anion
) near an electrode surface and also the variation of potential with distance from the electrode, as functions of concentration.
Contributed by: Quang-Dao Trinh (July 2012)
Open content licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
Snapshots
Details
The distribution of ions is based on the Gouy–Chapman theory. The concentration profiles of and
are colored blue and red, respectively. The electrode is positioned at
. The filled part on the potential diagram represents the Debye length (a characteristic distance at which significant charge separation can occur). The red and blue points represent
and
ions, respectively.
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