How to Build My Own Hydrogen Gas Generator
In 1820 the great scientist Michael Faraday demonstrated that hydrogen could be produced by passing an electric current through water. This process of electrolysis causes the water molecules to split into their constituent atoms. Today, finding new and better ways to produce and use hydrogen gas is an important area of scientific research because of the potential value of hydrogen fuel cells as power sources. It's not difficult to build your own hydrogen gas generator that replicates Faraday's experiment.
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Things You'll Need
- 6 volt battery
- 1 gallon container
- Alligator clips (4)
- 3-foot insulated copper wires (2)
- Test tubes (2)
- Test tube clamps (2)
- Water
- Salt (1/2 pound)
Instructions
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1
Remove three inches of insulation from each end of two, three-foot copper wires. Fasten one end of each wire to an alligator clip with the bare wire in contact with the metal of the clip.
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2
Insert the other end of each copper wire into a test tube. Use an alligator clip to secure the wire in place so the bare wire is completely inside the test tube.
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3
Fill a gallon container about 3/4 full with warm water. Add 1/2 pound of table salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity well. Adding salt improves the conductivity so your hydrogen gas generator will work better.
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4
Place the test tubes in the water so they are entirely submerged. Allow them to fill completely with water until no air remains in the tubes. Keep each test tube underwater and flip it so it is upside down. Keep the open end of the test tube underwater and lift it so a couple of inches is sticking out of the water. Secure the test tubes in place with test tube clamps.
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5
Secure the end of one copper wire to the negative terminal of a 6-volt battery using the attached alligator clip. Fasten the other wire to the positive terminal the same way.
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6
Observe the test tubes. You'll see gas bubbles forming and collecting in each tube. The test tube with the wire attached to the negative terminal of the battery will have about twice as much gas by volume. That's the hydrogen (the gas in the other test tube is oxygen). There is twice the volume of hydrogen gas as oxygen because water contains two atoms of hydrogen for each atom of oxygen, so your hydrogen gas generator produces twice as much hydrogen by volume.
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Tips & Warnings
In the small amounts produced by this experiment, hydrogen gas is safe. Do not attempt to use a homemade hydrogen gas generator of this or any other type to produce enough hydrogen for use in practical applications. Large quantities of hydrogen are extremely dangerous and require special training and equipment to handle safely.
