Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Learning Objectives
Thecomponentsofwatercanbeseparatedintooxygenandhydrogenusingan
electricalcurrent,aprocessiscalledelectrolysis
Ifhydrogengasisgeneratedusingarenewableenergysourcesuchaswindor
solar,ithasalotofpotentialasacleanenergysource
Oncehydrogengashasbeencapturedandstoreditcanbeusedtopowercars,
homes,orcomputers
Hydrogenpowerisoneexampleofhowtechnologicalinnovationscanbeused
toaddressenergyandenvironmentalconcerns
Climate Connection
Electrolysisistheprocessofusinganelectricalcurrenttoseparatewaterinto
hydrogenandoxygengas.Theelectricalchargethatisappliedtowaterwillbreak
thechemicalbondbetweenthehydrogenandoxygenatomsandproducecharged
particlescalledions.Forthepurposesofthisexperimentthechargedhydrogen
andoxygengasisproducedataluminumfoilelectrodes.Oncecapturedand
stored,hydrogengascanberunthroughafuelcelltopowercars,homes,even
computers.
Hydrogengasproducedthroughelectrolysiscanbeusedforpowerwhenrun
throughafuelcell.Afuelcellcombinesseparatedhydrogenandoxygentomake
electricity.Inthepastseveralyearswehaveseengreatadvancesinfuelcell
technologyandanaccompanyingincreaseinexcitementaroundthepotentialsfor
hydrogenpowertoreplacefossilfuelenergysources.
Thereareseveralobstaclestoovercomeifwearetousehydrogenasanenergy
source.Hydrogengasisveryflammable,andtherearesafetyissuessurroundingits
storageandtransport.Theexplosivepropertyofhydrogenisdemonstratedinthis
Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY Page 1 www.sciencenter.org
EnergeticElectrolysis ActivityGuide
activityandservesasagoodlaunchingpointfordiscussingstorageissues.
Currentlyscientistsareworkingondevelopingsafetransportandstoragesystems
forhydrogengas.
Theproductionofhydrogengasisnotalwayscleanandgreen.Infactmost
hydrogengasproducedintheUnitedStatestodayismadeusingnonrenewable
resourcessuchaselectricityproducedfromcoalfiredpowerplantsthatproduce
theelectricitynecessaryforelectrolysis.
Hydrogendoeshavethepotentialtobeacleanenergycarrieriftheelectrical
currentnecessaryforelectrolysisisproducedfromarenewableenergysourcesuch
assolarorwindpower.Imagesofoffshorehydrogenpowerplantspoweredby
solarpanelshaveincreasedtheexcitementaroundhydrogenpower.Inadditionto
havingplentifulsunlight,thesaltyoceanwaterhelpstoconductelectricitythat
allowsforelectrolysistooccur.Usinghydrogenpowerandfuelcellstostore
renewableenergycanreduceouruseofpollutionproducingenergysourcessuch
asfossilfuels,thereforereducingpollutionandhelpingtoslowtherateofclimate
change.
Thetechnologytousehydrogenasapowersourcewasfirst
developedforuseonthespacestation.
Materials
Forthepresenter
Onesetofthematerialsforeachpairofvisitors
Matches
2largetesttubes
Foreachpairofvisitors
One6voltlanternbattery
2smallstripsofaluminumfoil
Smallplasticcontainer(withacenterdivider)
2alligatorclips
Tapwater
Sodiumsulfateorsodiumchloride(tablesalt)
Note:Practicethedemonstrationbeforeconductingthedemonstration!Thisishighly
recommendedastheexplosionpartofthedemocanbealittletricky!
Set Up
Setuptakesapproximately10minutes
Step1:Preparethesaltwatersolutionaddingoneheapingspoonfulofsodium
chlorideorsodiumsulfatepercupofwater.
Step2:Preparethematerialsingroupssothateach
groupofvisitorswillhaveaccesstoabattery,two
alligatorclips,twopiecesofaluminumfoil,andthe
plasticcontainerwithsaltwater.
Step3:Practicethedemonstration.
Createabasicelectrolysissetupusingthelanternbattery,2alligatorclips,
aluminumfoilelectrodesandsodiumsulfate(orsalt)watersolution.
Note:Dontlettheelectrodestouch;thiswillshortoutthebattery.
Completelysubmergethetesttubeintothewaterandslidetheelectrode
intothetesttube.(Ithelpstofillthetesttubewithsaltywater,then
submergeittopreventairfromenteringthetube.)Oncetheelectrolysis
hasbegunthehydrogenandoxygengaswilldisplacethewaterinthetest
tube.
Afterhalfofthewaterinthetesttubehasbeendisplacedbyhydrogengas,
unclipthealligatorclipsandstoptheelectrolysis.
Slowlypullthetesttubewithhydrogengasoutof
thewatersolution,beingcarefultokeepthetest
tubepointeddownsothegasdoesntescape.
Pullthetesttubeupslowlyandavoidhaving
waterflowupthetesttube.
Holdingthelitmatchunderthetesttubeslowlytiltthetesttube.They
hydrogengaswillencountertheflameandaquickexplosionwilloccur.
Program Delivery
[Connectthealligatorclipsonthedemonstrationsetupandbegintheelectrolysis.]
[Welcomevisitors.Explainthateachpairofparticipantsshouldsitinfrontofa
battery.Explaintoparentsthatthisisafamilyactivity,andtheyshouldworkwith
theirchildrenifneeded.]
Todaysprogramisallaboutenergy.Wheredoesenergycomefrom?[thesun,
wind,water,coal,oil,wood,etc.Trywritinganswersdownandgroupingtheminto
twocategories,renewableandnonrenewables.]
Wearegoingtotalkaboutanexcitingwaytostoreenergythatisproducedfrom
thesun,wind,coal,oranyoftheotherenergysourcesyousuggested.Thisisthe
formationofhydrogengas.
Whoknowsanythingaboutusinghydrogenforpower?[Participantsmaycomment
oncombustibility,hydrogenpower,hydrocars,etc.]
Hydrogenisagasthat,ifstoredandharnessedcorrectly,canhelpuspowercars,
homes,orevencomputersinaclean,greenway.Thetechnologytousehydrogen
asapowersourcewasfirstdevelopedforuseonthespacestation.Inordertoget
hydrogengasweneedtoseparatewatermolecules.
Whoknowthetwopartsofwater?[HydrogenandOxygen,H2O]
ThechemicalformulaforwaterisH2O[Writethissymboldownifappropriate.]
Everywatermoleculeincludestwoatomsofhydrogenandoneatomofoxygen.
Weuseaprocesscalledelectrolysistobreakapartwatermoleculesintohydrogen
andoxygen.Electrolysisusesanelectricalcurrenttosplitthemoleculeapart.
Inthisactivitywearegoingtosplitwatermoleculesintohydrogenandoxygen
gasesusingelectrolysis.
Inorderforelectrolysistoworkyouneedtousethematerialsthatyouhavein
frontofyou.[Showvisitorsthematerials.]Becauseweareworkingwith
electricity,itisveryimportantthatyoulistentoinstructionscarefully.
Thebatteryprovidestheelectricalcurrentthatweneedtoseparatethewater
moleculeintohydrogenandoxygen.Thepowerthatwentintomanufacturingor
producingthisbatteryprobablycamefromanonrenewableresource.Ifthepower
forelectrolysiscomesfromarenewableresource,thenhydrogenpowerisavery
cleanenergysourcebecauseitdoesnotresultintheproductionofcarbondioxide,
themaingreenhousegasresponsibleforclimatechange.
Theplasticcontainerwillholdthewaterthatwewillseparate.Salt(orsodium
sulfate)hasbeenaddedtothewaterbecauseitconductselectricity.
CanyouthinkofaplaceonEarthwerewehavelotsofsaltywater?[theocean]
Manypeopleareexcitedabouthydrogenpowerbecausewecanusethehydrogen
separatedfromoceanwater.
Nextweneedtomakeelectrodesusingpiecesofaluminumfoil.Inordertoattract
thesetwopartsofthewatermoleculeswemustattachelectrodesontheendof
ourpowersource,inourcasethebattery.
Theelectrodescarrytheelectricalcurrentfromthebatterytothewaterand
hydrogengasisproducedatoneelectrodeandoxygengasisproducedatthe
other.[Notethatoxygengasisonlyproducedifyouareusingsodiumsulfatein
yourwatersolution]
[Demonstratethefollowingprocedure]Letsallmaketwoelectrodes.Becausewe
wantanelectrodewithalotofsurfacearea,wearegoingtotakeathinstripoffoil
andfolditbackandforthaccordionstyle.Firstpushdownyourelectrodesothatit
isflat.
Thealligatorclipswillcarrytheelectricityfromthebatteryintotheelectrodes.Clip
oneelectrodeontheendofeachofyouralligatorclips.
Nextwecanfullysubmergeourelectrodesintothesaltwater.Beforeweconnect
tothebatterypleasemakesurethatyourelectrodesarenottouchingeachother.
Iftheelectrodestoucheachotherwhiletheyareconnectedtothebattery,the
batterywillbedamaged.[Stresstheimportanceofthis:iftheelectrodestouch,it
willruinthebattery.]
Nowclipeachfreeendofyouralligatorclipsontothespringsofyourbattery.
Whatdoyousee?(Gasbubbleswillbeproducedoneachelectrode.Thereshould
bemoregasbubblesontheelectrodethatisattachedtothenegative,cathodeside
wherethehydrogengasisproduced)
Doyounoticemoregasbeingproducedatoneoftheelectrodes?[Therewillbe
moregasproducedatthecathode,negativeside,wherethehydrogengasis
produced.]
Whydoyouthinkthereismoregasproducedthere?[Theelectrolysisissplitting
waterorH2O.Foreachwatermoleculeweseetwiceasmuchhydrogengasthan
oxygengas.][Note:Thisisonlyaccurateifyouareusingasodiumsulfatesolution.]
Great,whatyouareseeingistheproductionofhydrogenandoxygengas!
Whydoyouthinktherearemoregasbubblesononeelectrodethantheother?
[Foreverywatermoleculethatseparates,thereistwiceasmuchhydrogen(H20).]
Howdoweknowthatweareactuallytrappinghydrogengas?[Runatest,useour
observationskills,etc.]
Onepropertyofhydrogengasisthatitisveryflammable.Infacthydrogengasisso
flammablethatscientistsareconcernedaboutwaystosafelystorelargeamounts
ofhydrogengas.
[Showvisitorsthedemonstrationyouhavesetuptocapturehydrogengas.]Slowly
pullthetesttubewithhydrogengasoutofthewatersolution,beingcarefulto
keepthetesttubepointeddownsothegasdoesntescapeandtoavoidhaving
waterflowupthetesttube.
[Holdingthelitmatchunderthetesttube,slowlytiltthetesttube.Thehydrogen
gaswillencountertheflameandaquickexplosionwilloccur.]
WhatdoIdoifonlyafewbubblesarebeingproducedduringelectrolysis?
Tryaddingmoresodiumsulfateorsalttothewatersolution,ortrybringingthe
electrodesclosertoeachother(rememberingnottoletthemtouch!).
Isnthydrogengasdangerous?Ivehearditisverycombustible.
Althoughinlargeamountshydrogengasisveryexplosive,theamountweare
producingtodaydoesnotriskexplosion.Thequestionofcombustibility,however,
isaconcernintheuseofhydrogenpowerasasourceoflargescaleenergy.
CanIuseadifferentsizedbattery?
Forsafetyconcernswerecommendthatonlya6voltbatterybeused.These
batteriescanbefoundatanygeneralhardwarestore.
Willelectrolysisworkwithoutaddedsaltinthewater?
Sometimes.Ifyouliveinaplacewithhighamountsofironinyourtapwater,the
ironmayactasagoodenoughconductortoproducegas.
Whatisthedifferencebetweenusingsodiumchloride(tablesalt)andsodiumsulfate?
Bothsaltandsodiumsulfateserveasaconductorofelectricity,whichincreasesthe
amountofhydrogengasproducedbytheelectrolysis.Whensaltisused,it
produceschlorinegas,insteadofoxygenontheanodesideofthecurrent.Usinga
sodiumsulfateandwatersolutionwillcauseoxygengastoform.
(*Note:Theamountofchlorinegasthatisproducedwhenusingasaltsolutionis
verysmallandisnotaconcern.)
Whatisthedifferencebetweenafuelcellandabattery?
Fuelcellsconsumepowerfromanexternalsourcethatneedstobereplenished,
whilebatteriesstoreelectricalenergychemically.Inthecaseofahydrogenfuel
cell,theexternalsourceishydrogenasfuel,andoxygenisanoxidantduring
combustion.
Credits
Thisprojectismadepossiblebyagrantfromthe
U.S.InstituteofMuseumandLibraryServices
Copyright2010,Sciencenter,Ithaca,NY.