A
salt bridge, in
electrochemistry, is a laboratory device used to connect the
oxidation and reduction half-cells of a
galvanic cell (voltaic cell), a type of
electrochemical cell. It maintains electrical neutrality within the internal circuit, preventing the cell from rapidly running its reaction to equilibrium. If no salt bridge were present, the solution in one half cell would accumulate negative charge and the solution in the other half cell would accumulate positive charge as the reaction proceeded, quickly preventing further reaction, and hence production of electricity.