How did Michael Faraday investigate the relationship between electricity and chemical change?

Michael Faraday investigated the relationship between electricity and chemical change by attempting to prove that all forms of electricity—whether from static generators, voltaic batteries, or biological sources—were identical and produced the same effects, specifically electrochemical decomposition.1

Beginning in 1832, Faraday conducted experiments that led to two major insights:
* Electrical force does not act at a distance to dissociate molecules; rather, the passage of electricity through a conducting liquid medium causes dissociation.1
* The amount of chemical decomposition is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity passed through the solution.1

These findings allowed Faraday to develop a theory of electrochemistry based on the concept of molecular tension. He proposed that electrical force creates a state of strain in a solution, which is relieved by the migration of particles. This work resulted in Faraday’s laws of electrolysis, which state that the amount of substance deposited at an electrode is proportional to the quantity of electricity used, and that the amounts of different elements deposited by the same quantity of electricity are proportional to their equivalent weights.12