Bulk electrolysis is also known as potentiostatic coulometry or controlled potential coulometry. The experiment is a form of coulometry which generally employs a three electrode system controlled by a potentiostat. In the experiment the working electrode is held at a constant potential (volts) and current (amps) is monitored over time (seconds). In a properly run experiment an analyte is quantitatively converted from its original oxidation state to a new oxidation state, either reduced or oxidized. As the substrate is consumed, the current also decreases, approaching zero when the conversion nears completion.
The results of a bulk electrolysis are visually displayed as the total coulombs passed (total electric charge) plotted against time in seconds, even through the experiment measures electric current (amps) over time. This is done to show that the experiment is approaching an expected total number of coulombs.
Read more about Bulk Electrolysis: Fundamental Relationships and Applications, Cell Design, Rates and Kinetics, Efficiency and Thermodynamics
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