ScienceFairProject

Name:EricRichards,JanEricDeCastro,EzekielProtacio

ProjectProposal

MyQuestion:

Howdoesdifferentwateroxidation/splittingcatalystssuchascobaltnitrateandsodiumsilicide
affecttheamountofhydrogenproducedthatcanbeutilizedasenergy/fuel?

RelevanceandValue:

Weplantotestoutdifferentcatalystsinthehopeoffindingonethatwilleffectivelyproduce
enoughhydrogenfueltochargeanordinaryiPod.Thisistheendgoalforouroverallscience
projectInourworldtoday,werelysoheavilyonbatteriesthataresimplyconsumedthenthrown
awayaswaste.Findingacatalystthatwillbeabletoproduceondemandhydrogenpowerfrom
waterwouldbetremendouslyusefulforthoseofuswhospendtimeawayfromthepowergrid.
Imaginebeingabletochargeyourphonewithnothingbutwaterandabitofcatalystforget
mobilesolarpanels.

Experiment:
Materials

9Vbatteries(4)
22gaugeelectricalwire
Alligatorclips(12)
Wirecuttersandstrippers
Breadboard,about3"x2"
10KOhmresistor
Voltmeter/Multimeter(usedtomeasureamountofelectricalcurrentproduced/output)
Cola
Cuporjarthatthenickelmetalstripscancompletelyfitinside(1)tallerthan5inches.
250mLbeaker
SmallStyrofoamblock
Nickelmetalstrips(2)stripsapproximately5inchestallandinchwide.
Ruler
0.1Mphosphatebuffersolution,pH7.0(500ml)
Thisbuffershouldcontain2.63gmonopotassiumphosphate(KH2PO4)(FW136.09g/mol)and4.35
gsodiumphosphate(Na2HPO4)(FW141.96g/mol)(tolowerthepHto7.0)andbroughtto500mL
usingdeionized(DI)waterforatotalphosphateconcentrationof0.1M.
Magneticstirplateandstirbar(1)

Pairofdisposablegloves
Metalscoopforchemicals
CobaltNitrate(10g)
NickelbasedCatalyst
SodiumSilicide
Clockorstopwatch
Labnotebook

1.Buildacircuitonthebreadboardconsistingofthebatteries,resistor,and
voltmeter/multimeter.

2.Add0.1Mphosphatebuffersolution,pH7.0,tothebeakerafteraddingelectrodessothatthe
nickelelectrodesaresubmergedhalfwayinthebuffersolution.

3.Placethestirbarinthebottomofthejar.

4.Connectthenickelelectrodestotherestofthecircuitusingcopperwireandalligatorclips.

5.Withtheelectrodessecure,placethebeakeronthemagneticstirplate.Turnonthestirplate
andgetthestirbarmovingataconstantrate.

6.Monitorthevoltagereadoutonthevoltmeter/multimeter.Afterthevoltagereadinghas
stabilized,recordthisvoltage.(Thisisthebaselinevoltagevaluefortheelectrochemicalcell).

7.Addthereactanttoformthecobaltbasedcatalyst.Addapinchofthecobaltnitratetothejar
withthephosphatebufferandstartthestopwatch.

8..Recordthevoltagereadoutandhowlongittooktogetastablevoltagereading.

9.Addmorecobaltnitratetothesolutiononcethevoltagereadoutstabilizestoinitiateformation
ofmorecobaltbasedcatalyst.

10.Repeatstep6untilthevoltagedoesnotappeartochangewiththeadditionofmorecobalt
nitrate.(Inthisinstance,thecobaltbasedcatalystwillcontinuetowork,butnoadditional
catalystmaterialwillform.)

11.Fillasecondbeakerwiththesameamountofphosphatebuffersolutionputinthefirst
beaker.Carefullyremovethenickelelectrodesfromthephosphatebufferandputthemintothe
secondbeakerthatwasjustfilledwithfreshphosphatebuffer.

12.Analyzedata.
13.RepeatSteps712withanickelbasedcatalystandasodiumsilicidecatalystandanalyze
data

Application:

Utilizethecatalystthatproduceshydrogeninrealtime(thegreatestoutputofenergy)
andconnectthecircuittoaUSBoutput
AttachdevicetoUSBoutputandallowthegeneralpublictouse(Sodiumsilicide,one
ofthecatalystsisbecomingreadilyavailabletothepublicmarketatacheappriceofunder$4
USDpergram)

1.Whatisonefactorthatyouwillvary?

Onefactorthatwewillvaryisthewateroxidationcatalystsusedwhileintheprocessofsplitting
waterforhydrogenenergy/fuel.

2.Whatquantitativemeasurementswillyoutake?
0.1Mphosphatebuffersolution
250mLdistilledwater
<10gofcatalyst
10KOhmresistor(measuringvoltage)

3.Whatfactorswillbeheldconstant?

Thetypeofwater(distilled),theGalvanostaticchemicalcell,the0.1Mphosphatebuffer
solution,numberof9voltbatteries(4),the22gaugeelectricalwire,NickelMetalStrips,and
numberofalligatorclips.

4.Whatwillbeyourcontrolgroup?

Ourcontrolgroupwillbeconductedusingcommoncobaltnitrateasacatalyst.Wewillcompare
othercatalysts,likesodiumsilicidetoit.

Hypothesis:

Thecobaltnitratecatalystwillineffectivelystoreenergyandbeacarrierofenergy,nota
producer.Theothercatalystswillfaresimilar,exceptwhendemonstratingtheabilitytoproduce

hydrogeninrealtime,whicheliminatestheneedtohaveaconstantsupplyofwater/hydrogen.
ThiswillbethebestwaytoproduceenoughpowertochargeaniPod.