In an electrochemical cell, the electrode at which oxidation occurs is called the

• A. Cathode
• B. Cell Potential
• C. Radioactivity
• D. Anode

Answer: (D)

Oxidation involves the loss of electrons, and that process takes place at the electrode called the anode. In any electrochemical cell, the electrons produced at the anode flow through the external circuit toward the cathode, where reduction occurs. The role of the electrodes in driving the reaction is fixed: the anode is where oxidation happens, and the cathode is where reduction happens. In galvanic (voltaic) cells, the anode is negative and the cathode is positive; in electrolytic cells, an external power source makes the anode positive, but oxidation still occurs at the anode. The other terms aren’t about where oxidation occurs: the cathode is the site of reduction, cell potential is the overall voltage of the cell, and radioactivity has no relation to electrode processes.