What is electroplating? Explain it with example.

Electroplating is a process that uses an electric current to reduce dissolved metal cations so that they form a thin coherent metal coating on an electrode.

To understand experimentally, let’s take a solution of copper sulphate in a beaker. In this solution, the iron spoon which is to be electroplated and a copper plate are taken as electrodes and are connected with battery and key as shown in the figure below.

On passing the current, the CuSO₄ which electrolyte in the above case is decomposed into Cu^{2 +} and SO₄^2-. As Cu^{2 +} is positively charged, so it moves towards negative terminal i.e. Metal spoon and deposits on iron spoon. Thus, on iron spoon the plating.