Ever asked yourself: Plus on the inside or on the outside tube? Even Stan switched in his carrier from tubes...
In an electrolytic cell, the cathode is where the negative polarity is applied to drive the cell. Common results of reduction at the cathode are hydrogen gas or pure metal from metal ions. When discussing the relative reducing power of two redox agents, the couple for generating the more reducing species is said to be more "cathodic" with respect to the more easily reduced reagent.
In a galvanic cell, the cathode is where the positive pole is connected to allow the circuit to be completed: as the anode of the galvanic cell gives off electrons, they return from the circuit into the cell through the cathode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KathodeIn physics or electronics, a cathode is an electrode that emits electrons into the device.Steve
