ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rotating ring-disk electrode

Imagine you have a toy car with a wheel that spins around really fast. Now, imagine that instead of a car, you have a special tool called a rotating ring-disk electrode. This tool is used by scientists to study how chemicals react with each other.

The ring-disk electrode has two parts: a disk and a ring. The disk is like the wheel on your toy car, it spins very fast. The ring is attached to the disk, like the wheel’s tire. The ring around the disk is made of a special material that can conduct electricity.

When scientists put the rotating ring-disk electrode into a liquid with chemicals they want to study, they add electricity to it. The electricity flows through the ring, down into the liquid, and back up to the disk. As the disk spins, it creates a tiny whirlpool in the liquid. This swirling motion helps to mix the chemicals.

The scientists can measure how much electricity is flowing through the ring and disk as they spin. They can also measure how much of the chemicals are being used up. By doing this, the scientists can learn how the chemicals are reacting with each other.

Rotating ring-disk electrodes are very useful because they can be used to study many different kinds of chemical reactions. They can also be used to make new chemicals that might have important uses, like new medicines or materials to make computers work better.