In electroplating, a metal object is coated with a thin layer of another metal by using electrolysis. Electrolysis is a process in which an electric current is passed through a solution containing dissolved ions of the metal to be deposited. The metal object to be coated is made the cathode, which is negatively charged, and the anode is the positively charged electrode.
During the electroplating process, metal ions from the anode dissolve in the electrolyte solution and are attracted to the cathode, where they are deposited as a thin layer on the metal object. The anode is usually made of the same metal that is being deposited, so that it slowly dissolves and replenishes the metal ions in the electrolyte solution.
In summary, the anode is the positively charged electrode in electroplating, and it is responsible for providing the metal ions that are deposited onto the cathode.