A molten mixture of equal parts aluminium fluoride, AlF₃, and sodium chloride, NaCl, undergoes electrolysis - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 1

During the electrolysis of a molten mixture of aluminium fluoride (AlF₃) and sodium chloride (NaCl), the following key reactions occur:

1. Electrolysis Process: At the cathode (negative electrode), reduction reactions take place. In this case, aluminium ions (Al³⁺) from AlF₃ gain electrons to form aluminium metal:

   $ext{Al}^{3+} + 3e^- \rightarrow \text{Al}$

2. Anode Reaction: At the anode (positive electrode), oxidation reactions occur. Chloride ions (Cl⁻) from NaCl will lose electrons to produce chlorine gas:

   $2\text{Cl}^- \rightarrow \text{Cl}_2 + 2e^-$

These reactions confirm that aluminium is produced at the cathode, while chlorine gas is produced at the anode, making option C the correct answer.