Cathode is the negative electrode and attracts positive charges. Which option reflects this statement?

Cathode is the negative electrode and attracts positive charges. Which option reflects this statement?

• A. Positive; attracts anions
• B. Negative; attracts cations
• C. Positive; attracts cations
• D. Negative; attracts anions

Answer: (B)

Attracting opposite charges is the key idea. The cathode is the negative electrode, so it carries a negative charge and draws positively charged ions (cations) toward it. That makes the option describing a negative electrode that attracts cations the correct one. If the electrode were positive, it would attract negatively charged ions (anions), not cations, and a negative electrode attracting anions would be inconsistent with the charge–ion attraction rule. In this setup, the movement of cations toward the negative cathode best reflects how the system behaves.

Attracting opposite charges is the key idea. The cathode is the negative electrode, so it carries a negative charge and draws positively charged ions (cations) toward it. That makes the option describing a negative electrode that attracts cations the correct one. If the electrode were positive, it would attract negatively charged ions (anions), not cations, and a negative electrode attracting anions would be inconsistent with the charge–ion attraction rule. In this setup, the movement of cations toward the negative cathode best reflects how the system behaves.