All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

In electrolytic refining, the pure metal is used as:

This question was previously asked in
RRB Group D 2024 Question Paper PDF (27-Dec-2025) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is

a cathode

In electrolytic refining, a thin strip of pure metal is made the cathode (the negative electrode) and the impure metal is made the anode (the positive electrode), with a solution of a salt of the metal acting as the electrolyte.

When current is passed, the impure anode dissolves into the electrolyte and pure metal is deposited onto the pure cathode, so the cathode grows in purity and thickness.

"Sulphur" is wrong because sulphur is a non-metal and plays no role as the electrode here.

"An electrolyte" is wrong because the electrolyte is the dissolved metal-salt solution, not the solid pure metal.

"An anode" is wrong because the anode is made of the impure metal that dissolves away, not the pure metal.

Hence, in electrolytic refining the pure metal is used as a cathode.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. What happens at the anode during anodising?

  2. Which of the following statements are correct for electrolytic refining? a. Copper, zinc, and nickel are refined electrolytically. b. In this method, a thin strip of pure metal is used as cathode. c. The insoluble impurities settled at bottom of the anode are known as anode mud.

  3. Which of the following is a product formed at the cathode during the electrolysis of brine?

  4. Anodising is a process used to improve the appearance and durability of aluminium articles. Which of the following statements best explains the principle behind anodising?

  5. Which method is commonly used to extract sodium from its compound?

  6. During the electrolytic refining of copper, which of the following correctly matches the components and their roles?

    ComponentRole in Refining Process
    A. Pure Copperi. Anode
    B. Impure Copperii. Cathode
    C. Acidified Copper Sulphateiii. Electrolyte

Important Questions from Electrochemistry

  1. At $298 \, K$, given the standard electrode potentials: $E^\circ_{Cu^{2+}/Cu} = 0.34 \, V$, $E^\circ_{Zn^{2+}/Zn} = -0.76 \, V$, $E^\circ_{Fe^{2+}/Fe} = -0.44 \, V$, and $E^\circ_{Ag^{+}/Ag} = 0.80 \, V$.
    Based on these values, which of the following reactions is NOT expected to occur spontaneously under standard conditions?
  2. Which of the following processes is required for extracting metal from cinnabar ore?
  3. You are given three metals 'X', 'Y' and 'Z'. Metal 'X' is found to react with an aqueous solution of both YSO 4and ZSO 4whereas metal 'Z' is found to react only with aqueous solution of YSO 4. Based on these observations, select the correct statement from the following.

  4. The mobility of a divalent cation in water is 8 × 10-8 m2 V-1 s-1. The effective radius of the ion is (viscosity of water = 1 cP : c = 1.6 × 10-19 C)

  5. The electrical double layer model among the following that consists of both fixed and diffuse layers is

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
RRB NTPC
September 27, 2026
RRB Technician
October 06, 2026
Test Series
RRB Group D img
Railways
RRB Group D Mock Test Series 2026 (Latest Pattern)
1154 Tests 1 Tests Free
1664 Attempts
4.1(103)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App