Electrolysis of water

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/electrolysis-of-water

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific process?Electrolysis of water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2)
2. What is the thermodynamic minimum voltage?1.23 volts at standard conditions
3. What happens when we split water with electricity?When electricity passes through water, the water molecules split into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The hydrogen bubbles rise to the surface, and the oxygen bubbles rise too.
4. Why do we need an electrolyte in the water?Adding an electrolyte, like salt, makes the water more conductive. This lets the electric current flow easily between the two electrodes.

Electrochemical Cell: A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy or vice versa through redox reactions.
Anode and Cathode: The electrodes in an electrolytic cell where oxidation and reduction reactions occur, respectively.
Overpotential: The extra voltage required beyond the thermodynamic potential to drive an electrochemical reaction at a practical rate.
Green Hydrogen: Hydrogen produced through electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources.