How does electroplating deposit a metal coating on an object?

Electroplating is a process that uses electric current to deposit a metallic coating onto an object. The object to be plated serves as the cathode (the negative electrode) and is submerged in an electrolytic bath containing a solution of the metal salt to be deposited.12

When a low-voltage current is applied, the cathode becomes negatively charged, attracting positively charged metal ions from the solution. These ions gain electrons at the cathode surface, reducing them into neutral metal atoms that deposit onto the object. Concurrently, the anode (the positive electrode) typically dissolves into the solution at a similar rate, replenishing the metal ions and maintaining the bath's composition.1

If the surface is clean, the deposited atoms can integrate into the basis metal's crystal structure, creating a durable, inseparable bond. While primarily used for metals, nonconductive materials like plastics can also be electroplated after being rendered conductive through preliminary treatments.1