In an impressed current cathodic protection system, the negative wire of the rectifier is connected to the:

In an impressed current cathodic protection system, the negative wire of the rectifier is connected to the:

• A. Anode
• B. Cathode
• C. Drop tube
• D. Dielectric union

Answer: (B)

In an impressed current system, the goal is to make the metal structure the cathode so it stays protected from corrosion. The rectifier’s negative output is connected to the structure being protected, which becomes the cathode. This lets electrons flow into the metal, driving the corrosion-reducing reaction. The positive output then goes to the buried or submerged anodes, completing the circuit through the soil or water back to the rectifier. Drop tubes and dielectric unions aren’t part of the electrical path for the protection current, so they don’t determine where the negative connection goes.

In an impressed current system, the goal is to make the metal structure the cathode so it stays protected from corrosion. The rectifier’s negative output is connected to the structure being protected, which becomes the cathode. This lets electrons flow into the metal, driving the corrosion-reducing reaction. The positive output then goes to the buried or submerged anodes, completing the circuit through the soil or water back to the rectifier. Drop tubes and dielectric unions aren’t part of the electrical path for the protection current, so they don’t determine where the negative connection goes.