Background Information 

When two or more atoms join together, they form what is called a molecule.  Molecules can be made of the same type of atoms, or molecules can be made up of different types of atoms.  Molecules that are made up of two different types of atoms are called compounds.  

Said another way, if two different types of atoms connect together, they form a compound which is different than either of the atoms by themselves.  Okay, you knew it was coming so here it is.  

The most famous molecule of all!  Water!

Water is made of two different elements (atoms).  They are hydrogen, and oxygen.  

Hydrogen is an invisible gas that is in the air around us right now!  In fact, every breath of air we breath has small amounts of hydrogen in it.  Too much hydrogen in the air can kill us.  I sure am glad God put just the right amount in earth's atmosphere.  Hydrogen is extremely explosive!  The symbol for Hydrogen is (H).

Oxygen is also an invisible gas and in the air we breath.  If there were no oxygen in the air, all life as we know it on earth would be extinct.  God gave us plants to produce the oxygen that we need to breath.  Oxygen is extremely flammable.  The symbol for Oxygen is (O). 

Miracle:  When the correct amounts of Hydrogen and Oxygen are combined you get Water.  Water is a compound that you cannot breath, it is not a gas, it is not invisible, it is not explosive, it will not burn, it is not dangerous (unless you try to breath it) and it is the perfect beverage; it is calorie free, caffeine free, carbohydrate free, fat free, and free.  God provides it in the form of rain all around the planet.   

The chemical formula for water is H₂O Which means two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom.  

Question:

If water contains both Hydrogen and Oxygen, how can we separate the water molecules back into the basic elements.   

Answer:

One way is called electrolysis.   By passing a current through water the molecules will separate back into the basic elements of Hydrogen and Oxygen.  This is what we will attempt to do in experiment two.  

Experiment Two

Follow the steps below

• Step One:  Gather the materials in the materials list for Experiment Two.

• Step Two:  Strip the insulation off the ends of the wires so that about two inches of bare wire is showing on one end and about 1/4 inch of bare wire showing on the other end.  Then shape your wires like the picture below and hook it over the edge of the glass.

• Step Three:  Use a piece of clear tape or electrical tape to hold the wires to the glass.  

Caution:  Do not let the two ends of the wire touch together inside the glass and do not let the long bare ends of the wire touch both the + and - terminals on the battery.  

• Step Four:  Twist the long bare ends of the wire around the battery posts, but be sure to follow the cautions above.  

• Step Five:  Take this experiment to the kitchen after you read through step six.  Never put liquids around your computer.  Poor water in your glass until it is well above the ends of the wires.  After the water settles down watch the two ends of the wires.  What do you see?  Because pure water is not very conductive, you will most likely not see anything happening.  

• Step Six:  Now to decrease the resistance of the water, mix in a little salt.  About one tablespoon of salt per cup of water.  In a small glass about a teaspoon should do the trick.  After the water settles down, you should see bubbles on the wire ends.  Don't do this near an open flame.  Now go to the kitchen and do step five and six when you are done come back here and continue reading.  

Having trouble?

1. The main problem doing this experiment is making a good electrical connection to the top of the battery.  Use tape if necessary to hold the wires firmly to the posts of the 9V battery.  

2. If it still does not bubble, try a new battery.  Your battery may be dead.  

What to Notice

1. You should see tiny bubbles forming on each wire.  The wire hooked to the negative post of the battery (in my experiment the blue wire) will have hydrogen bubbles coming off of it and the other wire (+) has oxygen bubbles coming off it.  Remember Hydrogen is highly explosive, so do not collect the bubbles.  Just let them float away.  

2. Electrons flow from the negative side of the battery through the water.  As the energy from the battery pushes electrons onto the molecules of water, some of the molecules will break up.  When a water molecule breaks apart, you get the two elements that water is made out of.  Since water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen, and both are gasses, they bubble up to the surface of the water.   

Discoveries 

The process of passing electricity through water to split apart it's molecules is called electrolysis. 

Current does not pass through everything.  Pure water, distilled water has a lot of resistance.  Water with almost anything in it is a pretty good conductor.  In fact, sweat is water with a little salt and a few other elements in it.  Sweat is a good conductor.  You should never work around electronic equipment with wet hands or when you are very sweaty.   Sweat reduces your resistance and makes you more likely to get an electrical shock.  We will talk more about this in Introduction to Electronics Part Two. 

Now please let me know if your electrolysis experiment worked and you were able to make hydrogen and oxygen gas by clicking here.  Be sure to tell me your name and what state your from.  Also, if you are going to take Introduction to Electronics Part One, or Introduction to Electronics Part Two, please take a digital picture of yourself, or get mom or dad to help if necessary and send it to me as a file attachment with your email.  I like to post pictures of students doing the experiments on the website so your class mates will know who they are in class with.  I would like to have a pose with you doing one of these three experiments.  Be sure to get a good close-up of your face. 

At this time you may wish to stop for the day or you may continue with the next experiment by clicking the next link in the menu to your left.