The products of electrolysis of dilute aqueous solution of...

The products of electrolysis of dilute aqueous solution of sodium hydride are (a) $\mathrm{Na}$ at cathode and $\mathrm{H}_{2}$ at anode (b) $\mathrm{H}_{2}$ at cathode and $\mathrm{O}_{2}$ at cathode (c) $\mathrm{Na}$ at cathode and $\mathrm{O}_{2}$ at anode (d) $\mathrm{H}_{2}$ at both cathode and anode

The products of electrolysis of dilute aqueous solution of sodium hydride are
(a) $\mathrm{Na}$ at cathode and $\mathrm{H}_{2}$ at anode
(b) $\mathrm{H}_{2}$ at cathode and $\mathrm{O}_{2}$ at cathode
(c) $\mathrm{Na}$ at cathode and $\mathrm{O}_{2}$ at anode
(d) $\mathrm{H}_{2}$ at both cathode and anode

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Key Concepts

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is the process where electrical energy is used to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction. In an electrolytic cell, oxidation occurs at the anode and reduction at the cathode, with different species undergoing electron transfer based on their electrode potentials.

Water Electrolysis

In aqueous solutions, water often participates in the electrode reactions because it is present in large excess. Typically, at the cathode water is reduced to form hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions, while at the anode water (or hydroxide ions, depending on pH) is oxidized to form oxygen gas.

Electrode Reactions

The reactions that occur at the electrodes depend on the reduction potentials of the available species. In aqueous solutions containing alkali metals, water is reduced at the cathode rather than the alkali metal ions because the reduction of water is energetically more favorable.

Reactivity of Alkali Metals in Aqueous Solutions

Alkali metals such as sodium have very negative reduction potentials. This means that in aqueous solution, the reduction of water to produce hydrogen gas is more favorable than the reduction of sodium ions to sodium metal, thereby preventing the deposition of the metal during electrolysis.

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