Final answer:
Electroplating iron onto nickel is not possible in a sodium chloride solution through standard electrolysis, as hydrogen rather than sodium is preferred in the reduction at the cathode in aqueous solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the feasibility of electroplating iron onto nickel in a sodium chloride solution. During electrolysis of molten sodium chloride, it is possible to produce sodium metal and chlorine gas.
Nevertheless, this is not the case with aqueous solutions, as sodium ions are more difficult to reduce than water, leading to the production of hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions instead of sodium metal at the cathode.
For successful electroplating, you need a suitable metal ion in the electrolyte solution that can be reduced to form a metal layer on the electrode.
In the case of trying to plate iron from a sodium chloride solution, you would not achieve this because the sodium ions do not readily reduce to form metallic sodium in an aqueous solution. Instead, hydrogen gas forms at the cathode out of water reduction.