Final answer:
The separation of sodium and chlorine during the electrolysis of sodium chloride is essential to avoid unwanted byproducts and to ensure the purity of sodium metal and chlorine gas, which are valuable products in various industries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Electrolysis of sodium chloride is a process that requires the separation of resulting sodium metal and chlorine gas to prevent recombination. During electrolysis, molten sodium floats to the surface due to its lower density and is collected separately, while gaseous chlorine is directed to storage tanks.
This separation is crucial to avoid the formation of unwanted byproducts and to ensure the purity of the sodium metal and chlorine gas obtained.
The production of pure sodium metal using a Downs cell involves electrolyzing molten sodium chloride. An aqueous solution is not suitable because hydrogen ions would be reduced in preference to sodium ions, leading to the production of hydrogen gas, not sodium.
Thus, the process must take place at high temperatures to ensure sodium metal is in liquid form and can be collected separately.
Moreover, chlorine gas is a valuable product used in various industries, including cleaning and disinfection, as well as for maintaining swimming pools. Therefore, keeping chlorine separate ensures that it can be used safely and efficiently in these applications.