SOLUTION

In electrolysis, if the current passing through the electrolyte doubles, the total mass of ions liberated at the electrode in every second also doubles. This is governed by Faraday’s first law of electrolysis, which states:

The amount of substance (mass) liberated at an electrode during electrolysis is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity passed through the electrolyte.

Therefore, if the current (the rate at which electricity flows) doubles, the amount of substance liberated (the mass of ions) also doubles within the same time frame.

Mathematically:

Mass of substance deposited (m) ∝ Quantity of electricity passed (Q)

Or,

m = ZQ

Where:

• m = Mass of the substance deposited
• Q = Quantity of electricity passed (in Coulombs)
• Z = Electrochemical equivalent (a constant for a particular substance)

In the given scenario:

If the current (I) is doubled, the quantity of electricity (Q) passed through the electrolyte in a given time (t) will also double (Q = It).

Since the mass of the substance deposited is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity, doubling the current will double the mass of ions liberated at the electrode.