How to Build a Hydrogen Fuel Cell

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Generating pollution-free electricity, the hydrogen fuel cell is a promising renewable energy technology. Watch it in action with this simple home-science project.

Step 1: Make electrodes
Cut the wire into two 6-inch pieces. Wind each piece tightly around a nail to form coils that will serve as electrodes. Leave a 1-inch piece uncoiled at the end and remove your coils from the nail.

Step 2: Prepare the battery
Cut the wire on the leads of the battery clip in half and cut away the insulation from the ends of the wires. Twist the stripped ends together with the uncoiled ends of your coiled electrodes.

Step 3: Fasten electrodes
Tape both electrodes next to one another in the middle of the popsicle stick. Put the tape on the twisted leads where they meet the coil.

Step 4: Attach to glass
Balance the Popsicle stick on the rim of the glass of water and tape the ends of the stick to the rim of the glass. Make sure only the coiled electrodes hang into the water, not the twisted leads.

Step 5: Connect volt meter
Connect the red wire to the positive terminal of the volt meter and the black wire to the negative terminal. The meter should read zero.

Tip
A small amount of voltage, such as .01, may read on the meter.

Step 6: Operate fuel cell
Touch the 9-volt battery to the battery clip for a second or two. This causes the water at the electrodes to split into hydrogen and oxygen -- known as electrolysis -- and bubbles will form.

Step 7: Remove battery
Remove the battery. The platinum allows the hydrogen and oxygen to recombine to make water and produce electricity, which can be seen on the volt meter. You can even use it to power small electrical devices.

Did You Know?
The only byproduct or exhaust from hydrogen fuel cells is water and water vapor.

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This is not a fuel cell, it's an electrolytic cell. The fuel cell produces electricity from H2, an electrolytic cell produces H2 from water.

j-ai

Sorry to break it to you, but this is not a fuel cell. Fuel cells produce electricity by oxidizing hydrogen (making water). This is an electrolyzer, a device that separates water (hydrogen and oxygen).

Other than that, this is a nice device

bluejay_

this is a great video of the concept. remember kids, energy can be neither created or destroyed. You can store energy. You can transfer energy from one thing to another, and transfer it to something else or even get energy back. The battery contained energy until it was put in water. since it takes energy to split water into Hydrogen and oxygen, those little bubbles that stuck on the electrodes have energy from the battery. Finally we see energy coming back out and shows up on the volt-meter!

rbmaserang

This is not a fuel cell. A fuel cell converts hydrogen to electricity. This makes hydrogen from water.

o

Why bombard your viewers with sordid noise? This video was essentially made to invite commercials. It leaves many questions not answered. However, some of the commentators stepped in and saved the day.

henniedevilliers

On the Avasva you can count on professional help with problems and technical support.

creektilghman

will copper wire work, or does it have to be platinum wire because I'm not spending $90.00 on some wire.

MrMCYT

Sooo, I need a battery to get electricity from the cell... I'll stick to the battery :P

Tomekkkk

This is an electrolyser - not a fuel cell.

Aquavidify

Great and I have some questions which would be the best wire to use pure or platinum plated. Also couldn't you use a LED not a voltmeter to check whether it works

legendever

@MaBuSt I've figured that one out myself but I think we all agree that howcast aims towards regular crowd, not engineers only :)

Tomekkkk

How does that setup stop the produced hydrogen from rising up into the air and just blow away as soon as it's produced? Doesn't make much sense to me...

tagaug