Electrolytic cell

An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that utilizes an external source of electrical energy to force a chemical reaction that would otherwise not occur.^{: 64, 89 : GL7} The external energy source is a voltage applied between the cell's two electrodes; an anode (positively charged electrode) and a cathode (negatively charged electrode), which are immersed in an electrolyte solution.^: 89 This is in contrast to a galvanic cell, which itself is a source of electrical energy and the foundation of a battery.^: 64 The net reaction taking place in a galvanic cell is a spontaneous reaction, i.e., the Gibbs free energy remains -ve, while the net reaction taking place in an electrolytic cell is the reverse of this spontaneous reaction, i.e., the Gibbs free energy is +ve.