The figure above shows the electrolysis of molten sodium chloride. Z is the

The figure shows the electrolysis of molten sodium chloride. During electrolysis, an electric current is passed through a molten or dissolved ionic compound to separate the ions. The positive ions move towards the negative electrode (cathode) and the negative ions move towards the positive electrode (anode). In the figure, the electrode connected to the positive terminal of the battery is the anode and the electrode connected to the negative terminal is the cathode. At the anode, the negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-) lose electrons and are oxidized to form chlorine gas (Cl2). At the cathode, the positively charged sodium ions (Na+) gain electrons and are reduced to form liquid sodium metal (Na). Therefore, the answer is (a) anode where the Cl- ions are oxidized. Z is the anode in the figure.