Next in the Chemistry of Things is Electrolysis... We just finished the discussion of the Decomposition of Water, which led us to the topic of electrolysis.
In electrolysis of water, which is the process we are discussing now, the molecules of water can be easily separated into positive and negative atoms or ions. [For an breakdown of that take a look at the Point of Reference.]
To give a very simplified picture of the water electrolysis process imagine some water in a container. Now picture two test tubes. And now a ceramic T shaped bar with a hole in each side of the top part of the T. Now slide the each test tube into the hole upside down and at about halfway up the tube stops and just sticks there, it stays in place lets say by some undiscovered force. Now place the entire ceramic bar with T top side up and open ends of the tube down into the container of water. The bar reached the container bottom but the tubes are only halfway in.
Next we see an electrode, the conductor, the way through which electricity enters the water. Maybe this looks like wires inside a tube or hose. The middle of the hose is connected to a motor outside the container of water and the ends go inside the container, hang down and the ends each get curved into one of the test tube. Got it?
Maybe it looks something like this.
NOW,...
The electrodes also are distinguished by the terms cathode and anode. Just as the ions are positive or negative in charge so are these end points of an electrode. The cathode is negative in charge, anode is positive in charge.
Now we have the container of water with the test tubes and the electrodes ready to go.
Someone flips a switch and the current of electricity passes through the electrode into the water and.. oh no, sorry ....Here it is necessary to just minimally establish the words current and circuit:
Electric circuits take various forms but these three basic parts are always there:
1) There is a source of energy, a generator maybe, which will make the electricity, the electrons, move
2) A "load" or device, your mobile phone for example, which will use up or consume the energy of the moving electron.
3) A complete circuit, a "go" and "return" path for the electrons... go to work, return home
And the word current in this case is not to be mixed up with the simple action of flowing. The electric current is assumed to flow out from the positive terminal, "go", through the circuit and back into the source at the negative terminal, "return", completing the circle, the circuit.
[pretty sure this is the way our heart moves blood , but lets stick to the topic here]
So, the conductor [metal wire] of electricity that dips into the water is the electrode. And the end of the negative electrode is called a cathode which is where the current of electricity, the electrons which are negative charge particles, enters the water. The anode is the positively charged electrode returning home.
Someone pitches the ball and smack, batter hits a home run, which is a circuit.
Or, as said before,.. someone flips a switch and the current of electricity passes through the electrode. A cloud of tiny bubbles, a nano cloud, surrounds the cathode and the anode. Its not air clouds it is the gases, the non metal pure elements bubbling up into the tubes and as the gas goes up into the tube, the water in the tube gets pushed down. If we were watching we would notice the bubbling cloud at the cathode is larger and forming faster than the bubbles at the anode.
As was stated already, water is H2O. H for Hydrogen, 2 for 2 parts hydrogen and O for Oxygen. No number so just one part oxygen. The hydrogen atom is technically neutral or zero charge, but said to be "slightly" positive and the oxygen atom is likewise technically neutral but "slightly" negative.
So to wrap up this inning of electrolysis we have a score of zero to zero, as in mostly zero charge. The current of electricity continues round the circuit over and over until the water has completely decomposed and is no longer the liquid H2O but has become the lighter pure elements of H in one of the tubes and O in the other tube.
There are a few details that didn't get covered like the electrolyte boundary of the ceramic T holding the test tubes and separating the gases. And the discussion of how volatile the Hydrogen and Oxygen are and that they must remain contained apart.
The explosive topic of the H bomb is another thing you can go on to investigate, but we'll stick with electrolysis here.
But roughly what happened in this fictional lab, near as I can tell was:
The pulse of electricity into the water shook things (ions) up by adding some negative charge electrons into the mix. The current of electricity continued flowing round and round in the circuit and this kept the reactions going. The reactions were the positive ions getting attracted to the negative cathode and as these moved the negative ions also shifted and were pulled by the attraction of the positive anode. At this point things (H2O molecules) were completely falling apart as the excitement bubbled over. Its a little cloudy at this point but that ceramic test tube holder was also interacting in the reacting and in the end they all got gassed. The container of water was emptied, used up, drained of energy, and just decomposed. The ions and molecules split the scene.
The stabilizing force of balance was disrupted in the H2O when the influx of outside influence interfered. Ultimately causing the separation of the united or compound structure of the water and forming the two separate states of gas (hydrogen and oxygen). And with this came extremely high volatility so the gases must be kept apart and contained to avoid explosive events.
Wow. Who knew this is how a lot of things work.
I think that is enough of this for now.
As was said at the beginning, this isn't exact science being stated or an experiment to be followed. This is just an exploration of established and complicated scientific knowledge presented more simply and primarily for stimulating a desire to know more, and producing subtle insights.
But, one last thing. I am still not clear how the water in the human body decomposes after death. Are there components of the body that exert electricity? Are human bodies composed of impure water?
AND, if pure water doesn't conduct electricity, and electricity is the only method to decompose H2O, then technically speaking, pure water IS an element because it can't be broken down. So I guess I understand why it is classified as a compound element?
POINTS OF REFERENCE ELECTRICITY GLOSSARY CHEMISTRY SCHOOLERS
