Electrical Current In Water

Hi kids.

Do you like Science Experiments? during your school holidays you can try the below experiments.

Learn how to split water and know more about electricity with these “electrifying” Science experiments!

The dangers of electricity

Electric current acts directly on muscles, especially on the cardiac muscle. When a sufficiently large current passes through the human body or more precisely when the heart muscle absorbs mainly high energy, ventricular fibrillation occurs.

Water can conduct electricity because electrons can flow by hitching a ride on atoms and molecules in the water. Water contains dissolved substances, such as salt. These greatly increase the ability of water to conduct electricity. That's why electricity passes easily through our bodies - because our bodies contain water and salt. This is also why it's important to keep water away from electrical appliances.

Can Water Conduct Electricity?

What do you need?

1. A glass or plastic container

2. 2 crocodile clips (if you do not have them, use metal clams with wires tied to the ends)

3. 9 volt batteries

4. A bulb

5. Distilled water

6. Salt

What to do?

1. Fill the container with distilled water.

2. Connect the wires as shown in figure 1.

3. Place a clip on each side of the container, so that it touches the water.

4. Connect the other ends of the wire to the bulb, one wire touching the bottom of the metal screw, the other touching the side of the screw. Observe what happens? The bulb does not light up.
5. Add a handful of salt to the water. Reconnect the wires to the bulb.

Now, what happens? The bulb lights up!

Why did you discover?

Distilled water is an insulator which means it prevents the flow of electrical charge. But if you add salt, it becomes a conductor. When the salt dissolves, the particles in it are being electrically charged, allowing the electricity to pass through.

Pure water is an insulator, but water containing salt is a good conductor of electricity.

You can use electricity to split hydrogen gas out of the water in the same way as a process called electrolysis.

What do you need?

1. A 9 volt battery

2. 2 regular pencils (remove the eraser and metal parts on the ends)

3. Salt

4. Thin cardboard

5. Electrical wire

6. A small glass

7. Warm water

What to do?

1. Sharpen each pencil at both ends.

2. Cut the cardboard to fit over the glass.

3. Push the two pencils into the cardboard, about 3 cm apart.

4. Dissolve some salt into the warm water for a while. The salt helps conduct the electricity better than in the water.

5. Using one piece of the electrical wire, connect one side of the positive side of the battery to the black lead of the pencil. Do the same on the negative side connecting to the second pencil lead.

6. Place the other two ends of the pencil into the salted water.

What did you discover?

Chemical changes are caused by the passage of electrical current in water. The current breaks up the water, bubbles can be observed.

In our next blog we shall learn about Planet Mars.

Keep reading and leave your comments.