Ask A Scientist© Biology Archive

Question:  This topic is kind of all the sciences combined, but I'll put 
it here.  My question is actually just asking for anybody to help me.
My topic is electrolysis. Any help is appreciated. Please just tell me what
you know.  Thanks a lot!!!
John Smith

Answer:  This question would be better placed in the chemistry section.
Electrolysis is simply the use of an electric current to change the
chemistry of a substance.  Water is a good example.  Water is made
up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom combined in a single
molecule.  We can cool water to a solid and we can boil liquid water
to a gas, but in all these three states, it is still water.
Placing a electric current (direct current) into water will result in
the formation of bubbles at both the + and - electrodes.  These bubbles
are the result of the water molecule being taken apart and changed
into oxygen gas and hydrogen gas.  This is a chemical change because
these gases do not behave like the water from which they came.
Electrolysis is used in a number of different applications with many
different types of molecules, not just water.
 
You can learn more about electrolysis from an encyclopedia or chemistry
textbook.
Steven D Sample