Conventional electrochemical measurements have been carried out using droplet cell microscopy for local area studies. This study overcomes the limitation of knowing accurately the exposed area and is proved by investigating the rough surface induced by wear. The galvanostatic pulse technique is used to determine the time constant which is independent of the area and also gives an indication of the corrosion rate. Worn and unworn surfaces of AA2014 in 0.1 M NaCl solution have been compared and the potential decay was faster for a worn surface than an unworn surface. © 2016 The Electrochemical Society.