0Electrolysis may occur because:
A. The electrolyte is a liquid
B. There are ionic bonds in the cryolite
C. Metal attracts to the magnet and non metal does not.
D. The metals used are more reactive than carbon in the reactivity series.
There are 3 correct answers ABD I suspect that some students would not consider the reactivity option or the ionic bonding option and therefore a follow up task would be set which allows these misconceptions to be addressed such as looking at the OIL RIG acronym and understanding the differences between ionic and covalent bonds. The second would be to look closer at the reactivity series using the chemistry data sheets provided in exams. Students who choose option C will look at positive an negative charges attracting without the use of magnets. This group must be sure that the anode and cathode are not magnets but carry different charges due to the electricity flowing through them.