Re: electrolysis

["Tom McCarthy" <TMccarthy@steds.org>]

Another possibility is you may not be using the proper electrode, like
platinum, and electrolyte, like sulfuric acid or sodium sulfate.  If these
conditions are not met, then chemical reactions will involve the other
substances that are in the conducting path.  For instance, if NaCl is used
with Pt electrodes, Chlorine gas is created at one electrode and oxygen from
the water at the other (if my feeble mind is still firing correctly on this
one!).  So, it turns out to be a question of activation energy and the one
with the lowest wins.

Tom McCarthy
Saint Edward's School
1895 St. Edward's Drive
Vero Beach, FL  32963
561-231-4136
Physics and Astronomy
-----Original Message-----
From: David Bowman <dbowman@tiger.gtc.georgetown.ky.us>
To: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu <phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu>
Cc: dbowman@tiger.gtc.georgetown.ky.us <dbowman@tiger.gtc.georgetown.ky.us>
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 1:24 PM
Subject: Re: electrolysis


> Concerning:
> > ...
> > I tried to demonstrate electrolysis of water to some middle schoolers and
> > I got bubbles all right but in a ratio of 1:1 not 2:1 as I "should" have.
> > ...
>
> You must pass DC current through the apparatus to get a 2:1 volume ratio
> at the different electrodes.  If you use AC the ratio will be 1:1 at each
> electrode where each gas volume will be a perfectly explosive
> mixture of 2 parts H_2 to 1 part O_2 at each electrode.
>
> David Bowman
> dbowman@gtc.georgetown.ky.us