How does electroplating add a metal coating to an object?

Electroplating is an electrochemical process that uses an electric current to deposit a thin layer of metal onto a surface.12

The process typically occurs in an electrochemical cell containing a solution of the salt of the metal to be deposited. The object to be plated acts as the cathode, which is charged negatively. When the circuit is closed, electrons transfer from the cathode to the positively charged metal ions in the solution. This reduction process converts the ions into neutral metal atoms, which then deposit onto the surface of the cathode.213

Simultaneously, the anode completes the electrical circuit. In many standard setups, the anode is made of the same metal being plated; as the cathode gains metal atoms, the anode dissolves at a corresponding rate, maintaining the concentration of the solution. If the surface is clean, these deposited atoms can integrate into the existing crystal structure of the object, creating a durable, uniform coating.1