Two electric gates are required for the construction of any type of cell. One causes oxidation and the other oxidation. That is, the tendency of one electron to leave electrons and become ionized must be greater than the other. Metals Activation The metals above the series are the most active and show a tendency to ionize by rapidly releasing electrons (oxidation). Therefore, the more active metal is naturally used as anode in electromagnets. That is, the metal that is relatively higher between the two metals is the anode and the lower one is the cathode. Thus the basic idea of making anode and cathode is found through the activation series.