Anode | Cathode, Electrolysis & Oxidation | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Also known as: negative electrode, plate

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anode, the terminal or electrode from which electrons leave a system. In a battery or other source of direct current the anode is the negative terminal, but in a passive load it is the positive terminal. For example, in an electron tube electrons from the cathode travel across the tube toward the anode, and in an electroplating cell negative ions are deposited at the anode. Compare cathode.