I wanted to test electrolysis in water at home so I connected a 9V battery into a little test tube of filtered tap water and partially stuck the cap on it so the wires would stay in.
Now I know I'm supposed to get hydrogen and oxygen gas which is happening but after letting it sit a while, there has been a light blue liquid accumulating at the bottom (as seen in the picture I took). I've also been worried that I won't handle the tube correctly and the hydrogen gas will react with the air (boom).
If anyone could explain what the light blue liquid is and how to handle this correctly it would be greatly appreciated.
>>7925007
Fluoride?
>>7925007
Most likely you made Cu(OH)2 from copper from wires and water
>>7925029
Yeah, I'm going to say that's about right.
Does anyone have anything to add on how to saftley extract the hydrogen?
>>7925049
here you go
>>7925058
That's a picture of water electrolysis. I'm asking how to make sure I get handle the test tube without it exploding. I'm not really familiar with handling stuff so I want the people who work with highly reactive chemicals to give some insight.
Well I took out the leads and carried it around no problem. I didn't seperate the leads for the H2 and O2 out, so what happened? I'm just seeing tr Cu(OH)2 at the bottom and there is less water than there initally was. Did the gasses just escape from the tube because it was cracked open a tad or are they sitting at the top? Wouldn't the H2 and O2 combust when they met up with eachother at the top of the tube?
Well actually it wouldnt make sense for them to react but doesn't hydrogen react with the air? Why is that then?
>>7925283
Ah thank you!
Why do people talk about hydrogen and oxygen combusting? Wouldn't they not be able to because they would both be paired into two atoms and cant chemically react?
>>7925007
>light blue liquid
Copper oxide. Ever noticed those blue rooftops on old buildings? It's actually oxidized copper.
For some more fun, try this: use a larger container and ass some soap to the water. The soap will catch the hydrogen and oxygen in bubbles. When you think you have enough bubbles, light them on fire. Classic experiment they show in school, but fun to do yourself as well!
>>7926877
For them to react there needs to be an activation energy (to break the hydrogen and oxygen molecules) so it can react with oxygen
>>7926962
Yeah well I was just thinking about it because of all these hydrogen saftey things say that that hydrogen can react explosivley in air (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hydrogen&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop#Safety_and_precautions). I guess they're just saying if the bonds happened to break from something like burning it would make a bit of a boom.
The hydrogen won't be a problem unless it accumulates.
>>7926890
>For some more fun, try this: use a larger container and ass some soap to the water.
You prick. Not going to get a disgusting but humerous image out of my mind for some time.
