Q.Why is the anode in a galvanic cell considered to be the negative electrode and the cathode the positive electrode?

An inert electrode (like Pt or graphite) only supplies a conducting surface for ONE half-reaction (either oxidation or reduction) at a time; it never itself carries out the complete redox reaction.

An inert electrode does not participate chemically in the cell reaction — it is not consumed or oxidised/reduced itself. Its job is purely to:

1. Not participate in the cell reaction — true, since it stays chemically unchanged.
2. Provide a surface either for oxidation or for reduction — true; at the anode it hosts oxidation, at the cathode it hosts reduction, but never both at the same electrode.
3. Provide a surface for conduction of electrons — true, it allows electrons to flow into/out of the external circuit. …

By definition, the anode is the electrode where oxidation (loss of electrons) takes place, in BOTH galvanic and electrolytic cells.

The anode/cathode identity is defined by the chemical process occurring there, not by charge sign (which flips between galvanic cells and electrolytic cells): oxidation always happens at the anode, and reduction always happens at the cathode. This is true whether the cell is a galvanic (voltaic) cell generating current spontaneously, or an elect …

A galvanic (voltaic) cell is a device that generates an electric current from a spontaneous redox reaction occurring in two separate half-cells.

A Galvanic cell (also called a voltaic cell) is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy released in a spontaneous redox reaction directly into electrical energy. It consists of two half-cells (electrode dipped in electrolyte solution) connected by a salt bridge and an external wire; oxidation occurs at the anode and reduction at the cathode, driving electrons through t …

In any electrochemical cell, oxidation always occurs at the anode and reduction always occurs at the cathode — so statement (c) is false.

In a galvanic cell:

• The anode is the electrode where oxidation occurs (electrons are released), and because electrons accumulate there and flow out towards the external circuit, the anode is the negative electrode. Statement (a) is correct.
• The cathode is where reduction occurs, and it is the positive electrode. Statement (b) is correct. …