Introduction to Electrochemistry: Electrolysis of Water—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity

Electrochemistry studies the relationship between electrical forces and chemical reactions. In voltaic cells (batteries), the chemical energy from a spontaneous oxidation–reduction reaction converts into electrical energy. In electrolytic cells, external electricity “forces” a nonspontaneous chemical reaction to occur. With the Introduction to Electrochemistry: Electrolysis of Water—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity, investigate the electrolysis of water in an electrochemical cell by passing electrical current through a solution via carbon pencil “leads.”