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Did you know you can break water? In this lesson, you'll learn how electrolysis works and how scientists can use it to split molecules of water. We'll also explore how electrolysis might mean that the cars of the future could run on water.
Table of Contents
- What is Electrolysis?
- How Does Electrolysis Work?
- What is Electrolysis Used For?
- Lesson Summary
Look into the sky on a stormy day and you'll see lightning bolts streaking through the sky. Crash! Oh no, lightning just struck a tree and broke it! Lightning is a flash of electricity that is so powerful it can split a tree. Electricity can be scary, but it can also be useful.
Scientists have learned how to use the power of electricity to split elements and compounds. This process is called electrolysis. Elements are substances made up of a single type of atom, while compounds are substances made up of elements.
The term 'electrolysis' is easy to remember if you break the word down into its parts. The first part of the word, electro, refers to electric. The second part of the word, lysis, is a scientist's way of saying that something is splitting. So, electrolysis is 'electric splitting.'
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To understand how electrolysis works, let's split a compound that you're familiar with: water. Water is a nice refreshing drink, but if we look inside water, we see that it contains molecules of H2O, which are chemical compounds made up of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms.
To perform our experiment, we will need to make an electric current, which means we need to flow electricity through the water. The electric current will pass between a negatively charged electrode called a cathode and a positively charged electrode called an anode. (An electrode is something that conducts or carries electricity.) You can remember that the anode is the positively charged electrode by thinking of it as the electrode with a positive attitude. In other words, the anode is feeling A-okay.
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Water doesn't conduct, or carry, electricity very well, so we can add salt to make it a better conductor. Salt is a compound made up of ions of sodium and chloride. Ions are electrically charged atoms, and they will help the electricity flow through our watery solution.
When the electricity passes through the solution, it breaks the bonds that hold the salt water together. The individual elements (hydrogen, oxygen, sodium, and chloride) are now free and can form new compounds.
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Could our cars run on water? The electrolysis of water creates hydrogen gas, which can be used as a fuel to run our cars. Scientists are working on making this process efficient, so maybe when you learn how to drive, you'll be able to fill up your car with water, rather than fuel!
Electrolysis is already used in the mining industry to separate important metals from the rocks they're found in. It's also used to make jewelry less expensive. A pure gold ring would cost a lot of money. But using electrolysis, a jeweler can plate or cover a cheaper metal with gold.
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Electrolysis is a process that uses the power of electricity to split elements and compounds. An electric current is passed between a negatively charged electrode called a cathode and a positively charged electrode called an anode. This electric current breaks the bonds that hold the substances together.
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