Difference Between Galvanic Cells and Electrolytic Cells

The difference between Galvanic Cell and Electrolytic Cell is tabulated below:

Galvanic Cells	Electrolytic Cell
Galvanic cells are a source of electrical energy.	Electrolytic cells require an external source of electrical energy.
Galvanic cells convert chemical energy to electrical energy.	Electrolytic cells convert electrical energy to chemical energy.
Galvanic cells have a cathode as the positive electrode and an anode as the negative electrode.	Electrolytic cells have a cathode as the negative electrode and an anode as the positive electrode.
Galvanic cells have a spontaneous reaction.	Electrolytic cells have a non-spontaneous reaction.
In a galvanic cell, the oxidation reaction takes place at anode while the reduction reaction takes place at the cathode.	In an electrolytic cell, the oxidation reaction occurs at the cathode and the reduction reaction occurs at the anode.
The two half-cells are set up in different containers, being connected through the salt bridge or porous partition.	Both the electrodes are placed in a same container in the solution of molten electrolyte.

Electrolytic Cell – Definition, Diagram, Working, Applications

An electrolytic cell is a electrochemical cell in which electrical energy is used to carry out chemical reaction in the cell. The chemical reaction happening inside an electrolytic cell is a redox reaction, which is spontaneous in nature. This whole process of carrying out chemical reactions with the help of electric current is called electrolysis.

In this article, we will learn in detail about electrolytic cell, its component, diagram and working. We will also learn difference between electrolytic cell and galvanic cell.

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