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Bonds Are Broken by Light: The Effect of Varying Salinities on Hydrolysis Using Constant Energy from a Solar Panel

CSEF · 2003 Chemistry

Frank A. Barrack · All Hallows Academy, La Jolla

Overview

Objectives/Goals My objective was to determine whether a solution with a greater salinity would yield more hydrogen through hydrolysis than a solution with a lower salinity using a homemade solar panel as a constant source of electricity. Methods/Materials A homemade solar panel with a total output of 3.7 volts was placed in front of a 500-watt work light to produce the current necessary for hydrolysis. NaCl solution with salinties of .45%, .9%, 1.5%, 15%, and 31% were tested. Distilled water without any salt was used as the control. Three hundred mL of a test solution were poured into a beaker in which was placed the cathode from the solar panel under a capped, inverted 10 cc syringe full of the same test solution. The work light was turned on, and the resulting gas rose to the top of the syringe. A fan was used to cool the solar cells. The gas collected was measured in cc's after 1 hour. Each salinity was tested a total of 5 times. Twenty cc's of the gas collected was analyzed by gas chromatography at an independent lab. It was found to be nearly 100 per cent hydrogen at the time of collection. Results The solution with the highest concentration of NaCl yielded the most hydrogen in the course of an hour. The solution with the highest salinity (31%)generated more than ten times as much hydrogen as the solution with the lowest salinity(.45%). Conclusions/Discussion Hydrogen produced by hydrolysis using energy collected with a solar panel is a green, renewable alternative fuel. This experiment demonstrated that the solution with the greatest concentration of NaCl produced the most hydrogen through hydrolysis. This would be important for mass-producing hydrogen by hydrolysis using solar energy in the future.

Summary statement

My project is about determining the best concentration of NaCl to produce hydrogen through hydrolysis using a solar panel as a constant source of electricity.

Help received

My father supervised my use of power tools, and my mother helped by gluing my board. Mr. Elgas, an analytical chemist, ran a gas chromatography test on a sample I took to him. I would like to thank my parents and teacher for their support and encouragement.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2003 Chemistry · Entry J0502

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