<Dd> C H + 5 O → 3 CO + 4 H O </Dd> <P> An electrochemical cell is a device that produces an electric current from energy released by a spontaneous redox reaction . This kind of cell includes the Galvanic cell or Voltaic cell, named after Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta, both scientists who conducted several experiments on chemical reactions and electric current during the late 18th century . </P> <P> Electrochemical cells have two conductive electrodes (the anode and the cathode). The anode is defined as the electrode where oxidation occurs and the cathode is the electrode where the reduction takes place . Electrodes can be made from any sufficiently conductive materials, such as metals, semiconductors, graphite, and even conductive polymers . In between these electrodes is the electrolyte, which contains ions that can freely move . </P> <P> The galvanic cell uses two different metal electrodes, each in an electrolyte where the positively charged ions are the oxidized form of the electrode metal . One electrode will undergo oxidation (the anode) and the other will undergo reduction (the cathode). The metal of the anode will oxidize, going from an oxidation state of 0 (in the solid form) to a positive oxidation state and become an ion . At the cathode, the metal ion in solution will accept one or more electrons from the cathode and the ion's oxidation state is reduced to 0 . This forms a solid metal that electrodeposits on the cathode . The two electrodes must be electrically connected to each other, allowing for a flow of electrons that leave the metal of the anode and flow through this connection to the ions at the surface of the cathode . This flow of electrons is an electric current that can be used to do work, such as turn a motor or power a light . </P>

Where does oxidation take place in an electrochemical cell