Ellipsometry with a new function the 'Optical tracking rate' (Vop), used to analyze electrochemical reactions as suggested by the authors, is described briefly. A series of applications of this new approach for qualitative and quantitative analysis including so-called potential scanning ellipsometry and stripping ellipsometry is introduced and discussed in this article. The experimental results indicate that stripping ellipsometry for quantitative analysis has a higher sensitivity and accuracy than the electrochemical method.