Mini Hydrogen Generator Our Design: For this project we were tasked with designing, building, and refining a device with given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy. My groups idea was to create a small hydrogen generator. We designed it by having a battery connected to a sort of ladder made out of galvanized screws and popsicle sticks. We used two popsicle sticks which we then screwed together using the galvanized screws and connected wire throughout the screws that would be connected to a battery. The battery would then use electrical energy to provide an electrical current through the screws. We placed the ladder in a jar of salt water which would cause a reaction that would make the salt and the zinc react. This would start a process called electrolysis separating the hydrogen and oxygen in the water. These two gases would then travel through the tube (IV drip) and into the second jar which we filled with water. We figured that by using a second jar, the oxygen would absorb into the water and would leave the hydrogen to travel to the petri dish where the hydrogen would be lit on fire. The petri dish had a layer of water in it, so that the hydrogen that was coming out of the IV drip would form bubbles which we would then ignite using matches. After ignited, this would create thermal and light energy. Originally, our plan was to use that energy to toast a marshmallow but we soon realized that we could not produce enough hydrogen bubbles to create enough of a flame to do so.
Changes of Our Design: Originally we had two jars, one filled with water and one filled with the ladder and salt water. We transitioned to using only one jar so that there wouldn't be as much loss in gas from the jars to the petri dish. After we changed to only one jar we figured out that the two gasses that were being excreted from the salt water solution were mixing and the oxygen was making the hydrogen non flammable. Another thing we figured out was that the more salt we added, the quicker the gasses would produce and the more the gasses would be produced. We quickly realized that there was not enough power coming from just one D battery and that we would need to add a second battery in order to get more bubbles and more of a result. Overall this design was not as successful as we hoped it would be and was not able to complete our final task of roasting a marshmallow.
Benefits/Selling Points: Overall this design is fairly practical and would provide a good use in the real world. When in use it does not produce any harmful toxins or chemicals making it very eco-friendly. Another reason it is a practical use in the real world is because all of the materials that the design requires being that it is very easy to create. A reason that this design may not be able practical however, may be because of how slow it is and somewhat impractical. This can easily be fixed by adding a larger power source or another ladder with another jar. While it may have a few flaws, overall it is a reliable design that is durable and mostly effective.
Proof of Design:
Why Our Reaction Occurred:The first type of energy that was used was electrical energy. This was provided by the battery that powered the ladder that was in the salt water. A battery works when you complete a circuit between the cathodes and anodes and in between the electrodes. The ions leave through the anodes and into the object, in this case the wires connecting to the screws, and enter back in through the cathodes. With the charge that is created from the battery and the ladder, it splits up the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen was attracted to the cathodes while the oxygen was attracted to the anodes hence the rusting of every other screw. After separated, the oxygen traveled through the tube and into the second jar where it dissolved into the water leaving only hydrogen. The hydrogen was not absorbed by the surface layer of the water so it traveled through the second jar and into the petri dish where it formed the bubbles. After that the bubbles would be lit on fire which is where the thermal and light energy come into play. Unfortunately we never actually achieved an actual flame so we were unable to witness this fully.
Equations: Q=mCT Q=450g4.18J/g℃.8℃ Heat energy of jar one is 1504.8
Q=mCT Q=450g4.18J/g℃.7 Heat energy of jar two is 1316.7J
In conclusion we can infer that we lost a lot of energy between the two jars and petri dish because we lost 188.1J of energy between the two. This energy loss could be from not having sealed connections between the IV drip and the two lids of the jars.
Reflection:Overall this was a very enjoyable project for me and I gathered lots of new information about different types of energy and transfers. During this group project, there were things that I performed well and some that I could use improvement on. One of the things I feel that I did well was collaborating well and showing flexibility and open mindedness. I was never opposed to any ideas and was always open to new ones. I felt I provided plenty of support to all new ideas presented. Another thing I feel that I excelled at was character in a sense that I was resilient and maintained a growth mindset throughout the entirety of the project. I felt that I provided insight when we were stumped about something. On another note there some things that I felt that I could improve on. One of these things was critical thinking but more specifically resourcefulness. Although I may have been a supporter of others ideas, I feel I could have done a better job of making myself useful at time and possibly contributing slightly more to our final product. Another thing I feel that I could have used improvement on was collaboration in the sense of willingness and readiness to achieve a common goal. At some points during the project I do feel that I may have been off topic or slightly or maybe preoccupied with something else. I feel this was my largest weakness and it is something that I will work hard on improving for the next time we have a group project.