Fuel Cells By Vincent Iacono Copyright 2009
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This fuel cell takes hydrogen as its main source of fuel. Because there is not a source of hydrogen readily available in my area, we have to make hydrogen, or literally, break it down from the water we use as fuel. We use the electricity from a battery to undertake a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis is where the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are separated from each other using electricity. The result is little bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen gas in the water of the fuel cell. These bubbles are respectively attracted to the negatively and positively charged electrodes (made out of platinum coated nickel wire). When the battery is removed, the catalytic (a catalyst is a substance that causes chemical reaction without being affected itself) characteristic of the platinum makes the hydrogen atoms break up (Dictionary 2009). This makes separate hydrogen protons and electrons. At the other electrode, the oxygen takes electrons from the metal and electrons from the old hydrogen atom, and form water. The electrons at the hydrogen electrode are attracted to the oxygen electrode. It’s easier for the electrons to go through the wire then the water, so it goes along the wire, and while passing, could power a load, or light a light bulb, or in the case of my experiment, be measured by a volt meter.
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