How to Make Hydrogen Vapors From Water at Home

Water molecules are made up of two of the most common atoms in the universe, hydrogen and oxygen. Each water molecule is composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. The hydrogen can be separated from the oxygen by passing a small current of electricity through water in a process called electrolysis. Water is a poor conductor of electricity but is made more conductive by dissolving ordinary table salt in it. (See Reference 1)

Things You'll Need

• Nine-volt battery
• 2 8-inch pieces of electrical wire
• 2 large paper clips
• 1-cup clear measuring cup
• 3/4-cup of warm tap water
• 1/2 tsp of table salt
• Spoon
• Sharp knife
• Masking tape

Instructions

1. Measure 3/4 cup of warm tap water into the measuring cup.

2. Add 1/2 tsp. of table salt to the water and stir it with the spoon to dissolve the salt.

3. Strip 1 inch of the insulation from both ends of the two wires using the knife.

4. Wrap one end of one of the wires around the long side of a paper clip. Repeat with the other wire and another paper clip.

5. Place the paper clips in the water, being careful that they do not touch each other.

6. Attach the other end of one of the wires to one of the battery terminals with the masking tape. Repeat with the other wire and the other battery terminal.

7. Observe the bubbles coming off the paper clips. One side is producing oxygen gas, the other hydrogen gas.

8. Notice that there are more bubbles coming off one paper clip than the other. The paper clip with the most bubbles is the one producing the hydrogen.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not collect the hydrogen and the oxygen in the same container and try to ignite it. That could result in a dangerous explosion.

References

• Personal experience from many chemistry courses, and I actually tried this.
• PeriodicTable.com: Homemade Hydrogen

Resources

• The Chemistry of Water