Activity 1.7 Electrolytic Decomposition of Water | Decomposition Reaction

ACTIVITY 1.7
Electrolytic Decomposition of Water | Decomposition Reaction

Activity 1.7
Take a plastic mug. Drill two holes at its
base and fit rubber stoppers in these holes.
Insert carbon electrodes in these rubber
stoppers as shown in Fig. 1.6.
 Connect these electrodes to a 6 volt
battery.
 Fill the mug with water such that the
electrodes are immersed. Add a few drops
of dilute sulphuric acid to the water.
 Take two test tubes filled with water and
invert them over the two carbon electrodes.
 Switch on the current and leave the
apparatus undisturbed for some time.
 You will observe the formation of bubbles
at both the electrodes. These bubbles displace water in the
test tubes.
 Is the volume of the gas collected the same in both the test tubes?
 Once the test tubes are filled with the respective gases, remove
them carefully.
 Test these gases one by one by bringing a burning candle close
to the mouth of the test tubes.
CAUTION: This step must be performed carefully by the teacher.
 What happens in each case?
 Which gas is present in each test tube?

hydrogen Gas released at cathode...
Oxygen Gas released at anode