Experiment #6

Electrolysis of Water

I.Introduction
Scientific writing is just as important as scientific investigation or experimenting. Although the major
part of scientific investigation takes place in the laboratory--connecting equipment together, repairing,
obtaining supplies and samples, checking each apparatus for consistency, calibration, and finally data
collection by running the experiment—a great deal of time is spent to present the results in a concise,
objective, critical and conclusive format called laboratory report (similar to research
paper). Therefore, a well-organized laboratory report is much more effective and influential than one
without a structure. There is no short list of instructions for writing a good laboratory report. Studying
electrolysis is too much brainstorming.

II.Objectives
1. To observe a chemical reaction.
2. To separate water into its constituent elements.

III.Materials include to the setup

1 tablespoon of salt
6-volt or 9-volt battery
Two alligator clip leads or insulated wire
Beaker or glass
Piece of thin cardboard or cardstock
Two #2 pencils

IV. Procedures and its setup

1. Fill the beaker or glass with warm

water.
2. Carefully remove the erasers and metal
sleeves so you can sharpen both ends of
each pencil. These pencils are
your electrodes. The graphite in them
will conduct electricity, but won’t
dissolve into the water.
3. Cut a piece of the cardboard to fit over
the beaker, then punch two holes in the
center of the cardboard about an inch
apart. Push the pencils through the holes
and set them in the glass. They should
extend into the water, but not touch the
bottom of the glass. The cardboard will
hold them in place.
4. Connect each pencil to the battery with
an alligator clip lead attached to the
exposed graphite (pencil lead). If you
don’t have alligator clip leads, use two lengths of wire and strip an inch of insulation off each
end. Wrap the wire around the graphite of each pencil and connect the wires to the battery.
You may need to use tape to hold the wires in place.

V. References

https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/electrolysis-science-project/
 Worksheet #6
ELECTROLYSIS

Group #:
Year/Block/ Lab #: Date:
Names of Members: Rating:

I. Observation

II. Questions

1. What factors affect electrolysis?

2. How is oxygen gas produced on the electrolysis setup?

3. How does electrolysis separate oxygen and hydrogen?

4. What is the purpose of an electrolyte in electrolysis?

5. Why is oxygen produced at the anode?

III.Generalization
I. Observation
As soon as you connect the wires to the battery, you will see bubbles appearing around each of the pencil tips in the water
and floating upward. Those bubbles are the components of water—hydrogen and oxygen gas—that have been split apart by
the electricity as it travels through the water from one pencil to the other. The pencil attached to the negative terminal of the
battery collects hydrogen gas while the one connected to the positive terminal collects oxygen.

III.Generalization

Electrolysis is a technique that uses a direct electric current (DC) to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction.
Electrolysis is commercially important as a stage in the separation of elements from naturally occurring sources such as ores
using an electrolytic cell. Electrolysis is commonly employed for coating one metal with another. The method of coating one
metal with another using an electric current is called electroplating. It emphasizing chemical relation it is just like in
sociology, social interacting with something you cannot live as one it is always having our connectivity with someone.
Studying this topic is too much fun because it is brainstorming.

II. Question

1. Factors affecting the amount of product made. The amount of product made during electrolysis depends upon the time
and the electric current. The amount can be the mass of solid produced (such as copper) or the volume of gas produced (such
as oxygen).

2 Oxygen gas is formedin the tube connected to the positive electrode. Hydrogen gas is produced in the tube connected to
the negative electrode. The process produces twice as much hydrogen gas as oxygen gas.

.3. Electrolysis is the process of using an electrical current to separate water intohydrogen and oxygen gas. The electrical
charge that is applied to water will break the chemical bond between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms and produce charged
particles called ions.

4. When electrodes are placed in an electrolyte and a voltage is applied, theelectrolyte will conduct electricity. Lone
electrons normally cannot pass through theelectrolyte; instead, a chemical reaction occurs at the cathode, providing
electrons to the electrolyte.

Why is oxygen produced at the anode?

5.This is what happens during electrolysis: Positively charged ions move to the negative electrode. ... Non-metal ions, such
as oxide ions and chloride ions, are negatively charged, so gases such as oxygen or chlorine are produced at the positive
electrode (anode).

I. Observation
Free elemental oxygen occurs naturally as a gas in the form of diatomic molecules, O2O2 (g). Oxygen exhibits many unique
physical and chemical properties. For example, oxygen is a colorless and odorless gas, with a density greater than that of air,
and a very low solubility in water. In fact, the latter two properties greatly facilitate the collection of oxygen in this lab.
Among the unique chemical properties of oxygen are its ability to support respiration in plants and animals, and its ability to
support combustion.

II. Questions
1.A pneumatic trough is a piece of laboratory apparatus used for collecting gases, such as hydrogen, oxygen and
nitrogen. Pneumatic troughs require a liquid such as water. Scientists also have used mercury in pneumatic troughs, but
usually only for the collection of water-soluble gases
2. A watering trough (or artificial watering point) is a man-made or natural receptacle intended to provide drinking water to
animals, livestock on farms or ranches or wild animals.
3 The equilibrium pressure of water is temperature dependent and is called the vapor pressure of water. Dalton's
Law of Partial Pressures tells us that the total pressure in the container must be the sum of the pressures of
the gas we collected and thewater vapor.
4 Because the gas is collected over water, it is not pure but is mixed with vapor from the evaporation of the water.
Dalton's law can be used to calculate the amount of the desired gas by subtracting the contribution of the water vapor.
5. Here are some examples: Gas in liquid: Oxygen in water. Carbon dioxide in water– a less simple example, because the
solution is accompanied by a chemical reaction (formation of ions).
GeneralizationTo collect gas, a tube from the running gas generator is inserted into the water below the upended jar, and the
bubbles rise to displace the water with the generated gas.

Experiment #6
Pneumatic trough

I.Introduction
Although it sounds like some kind of euphemism from Brave New World, a “pneumatic trough” is
actually a very handy piece of classic chemistry lab kit. Besides providing a convenient means to
collect samples of pure gases for various experiments, a pneumatic trough with a graduated container
allows the easy volumetric measurement of reaction yields for gas-producing reactions.
If that all sounds too complicated, don’t sweat. What I’m going to show in this tutorial is just how to
build a simple apparatus that allows you to collect pure gas samples over water. You can collect
carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen–almost any gas you can generate and direct down a hose.

II.Objectives
 To generate (and collect) oxygen gas via the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
 To investigate the properties of oxygen, particularly as an agent of combustion.

III.Materials include to the setup

drill
drill bit, 1/4"
file
nibbler tool Jameco 18810
rubbing alcohol
ruler
aluminum sheet
ice bin
printed paper
tall jar with lid, olive jar works well water
calipers (for measuring internal diameter of jar lid)

IV. Procedures and its setup

Step #1: Measure internal dimensions of jar lid

 Most glass jar closures these days use a simple lid design, like
that shown in the photograph, consisting of an opening having
the shape of the intersection between a circle of a particular
diameter, and a square of dimension slightly smaller than that
diameter. Put simply, it's a circle that's been flattened a bit on
four sides. The jar will thread into any aperture that has an
opening of this shape, so what we're going to do is reproduce it.
 Measure the inside dimensions of the lid opening across the
circular diameter, and between the flats.
 The lid I used had an internal diameter of 2.6" and a flat-to-flat "diameter" of 2.475".
Step #2: Prepare template
I used Adobe Illustrator to prepare my template. If you use the same
materials I did, you can use the
same template, which is attached
to this project as a PDF. If you
don't have access to the same
materials, you can of course
make your own template, using
Illustrator, other software (like
InkScape), or manual drafting.

Step #3: Cut out and affix template

Overlay the sheet metal blank on

the printed template and cut
around it using a hobby knife.

Peel off the adhesive backing,

carefully align the label with the
sheet metal, and smooth it in
place.




Step #4: Rough out opening

Using a 1/4" bit, drill a circle of closely-spaced holes about 1/4" inside the outline of the opening. The
holes should be about 1/16" apart.

Cut the narrow "bridges" between the drilled holes with side-cutting pliers. Discard the cut-out bung.
Step #5: Finish opening

Use a hand nibbler to carefully trim out to the finished edge.

The nibbler should leave a fairly clean cut, but you may want to follow up with a few light file strokes
here and there to smooth things up.

Be sure to test the jar fit as you go; better to have a messy edge than to remove too much material and
ruin the fit.

Step #6: Bend sheet

There are four bends to make in the template. Start with one of
the "end" bends and work across the template to the other end.

For each bend:

Position the sheet metal over the edge of a counter, aligning the
counter edge with the line you want to bend.

Being careful not to distort the opening, bend the sheet metal
with your hands.

Be careful of the edges of the sheet metal. You may want to wear
gloves.
Step #7: Assemble

Peel the template label off the metal. Use rubbing alcohol to remove any residue that remains.

Fill the ice bin with water to a level slightly deeper than your jar is tall.

Position the bridge across the ice bin, at one end, as shown. The opening in the bridge should be
submerged by about one-half inch. Add more water if necessary.

Submerge the jar at the free end of the ice bin, and tilt it slightly upward to fill it with water.

Keeping the jar under water, rotate it so the open mouth is facing down.

Without lifting the mouth above the water level, raise the jar until it can be moved over the opening in
the bridge.

Thread the jar into the opening in the bridge. If you've done everything right, the jar should still be
full of water, with no bubbles.

V. References

https://makezine.com/projects/pneumatic-trough/
 Worksheet #7
PNEUMATIC TROUGH

Group #:
Year/Block/ Lab #: Date:
Names of Members: Rating:

I. Observation

II. Questions

1. How does a pneumatic trough work?

2. What is the meaning of water trough?

3. Why do you collect gas over water?

4. Why is the gas collected over water not pure?

5. What is an example of a gas dissolved in a liquid?

III.Generalization