Step by Step Electroplating

Hey guys,

So unfortunately, one of my marks on my OEAT is to describe Electroplating. Unfortunately the teacher has not covered it, and the only guides I can find are way too in depth and the vocabulary is very complicated. Can anyone help describe electroplating to a 13 year old like me today, as it is in for tomorrow?

Electroplating works by immersing the object to be plated (which must be a metal) in a solution of ions of the plating metal. The metal ions are positive and are therefore attracted to a negative electrode. So if you attach the object to be plated to the negative side of the circuit, and make the positive electrode of the metal to be plated, ions will form at the positive electrode and migrate through the solution to the negative electrode.

For example, you want to plate an iron object with copper. Attach the iron object to the negative terminal, immerse it in copper sulphate solution and then attach a copper bar to the positive side. When you switch on the current, the copper electrode will be oxidised to produce Cu²⁺ ions which will then travel through the solution and be reduced at the negative terminal, turning back to copper metal which is deposited as a layer on top of the iron object. The layer will gradually thicken and you switch off the current when it is at the required thickness.

Here you go

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa/electrolysis/electrolysisrev2.shtml