Understand that the specific ions discharged during the electrolysis of an aqueous solution are heavily dependent on the relative reactivity of all elements involved.
Predict that elemental hydrogen will be produced at the negative electrode (cathode) if the constituent metal is determined to be more reactive than hydrogen.
Predict that oxygen will naturally be produced at the positive electrode (anode) unless the solution contains halide ions, which would lead to the production of the halogen gas instead.
Explain the underlying mechanism where aqueous water molecules break down to yield the hydrogen and hydroxide ions that ultimately undergo discharge.
Predict the resulting products of electrolysis for various aqueous solutions that contain a single dissolved ionic compound.
Conduct a structured investigation involving the creation of a hypothesis regarding the observable results of electrolyzing aqueous solutions using inert electrodes.
