Electroplating is basically the process of plating a metal onto the other by hydrolysis mostly to prevent corrosion of metal or for decorative purposes. The process uses an electric current to reduce dissolved metal cations to develop a lean coherent metal coating on the electrode. Electroplating is often applied in the electrical oxidation of anions on a solid substrate like the formation of silver chloride on silver wire to form silver chloride electrodes.
Electroplating is majorly applied to modify the surface features of an object (e.g corrosion protection, lubricity, abrasion), but the process can also be used to build thickness or make objects by electroforming.