I have a electrolysis cell in which the anode is hanging using a Structure in a electrolyte. The cathode is at the bottom of the cell with electrolyte above it and anode being dipped into this electrolyte (not completely, a portion of the anode is dipped). The cell operates at 7 volts DC and 90000 amperes of current flowing through it. This is a typical electrolysis process of producing aluminium from alumina powder in a aluminium smelter. The cell is called a pot. Now the question is I need to measure a potential drop on the anode rod. We usually take a meter to measure the potential drop on the anode rod and typically the reading are in millivolts. As the readings are in millivolts, it just indicates the drop in rod voltage due to resistance of rod. Now can I measure this millivolts drop using Arduino provided the voltage at one point of anode is 5 volts with respect to ground and the voltage at the other point is 4.95 volts with respect to ground, however the difference between these voltages is 0.5 volts and this is voltage I need to measure using Arduino and some arrangements as add on to it. How can I do this? Can anyone help. If you want more details, please comment. I will also provide more details.
So far I have done is tried measuring 1.5 volts on a pencil cell using Arduino by connecting A0 analog pin on Arduino to positive directly to the positive of 1.5 volts battery and ground of Arduino to the negative of Arduino.
Can I do the same for this millivolts measurements? I understand that the ground of Arduino and the 2nd point of anode measurement will not be at same potential, so shouldn't be connected together. I am scared to burn my board, so didn't try practically and wanted to get some opinion.