I have a peice of stainless steel and a peice of copper not touching, submerged in salt water, I then apply a postive current and a negative current from a battery (one current for each metal) to them. After a while I take the current off and hook up the metals to a voltmeter with a wire coming off each one (still submerged) and it produces a current. I am doing this for my science activity for school, and can someone explain exaclty how the electricity is being produced?
205062
it's basically from the movement of electron transfer from one of the metal to the other. to know the flow of electrons from which metal to which, u need to know their standard reduction potentials
485782
well if i am not wrong.. they work on the principle of thermionic emission... \n\nnow wat happens is ... at the cathode end ( negatively charged) there is a metal bit.. called emitter  and at the anode end( positive terminal) another metal called the receiver. the tube is vacuated and filled with gas, in this case a halogen vapour. \n\nwat happens is when a potential is applied, when we switch it on, the cathode emits electrons.\nthese electrons pass thru the vapours and ionise them. when ionised these gases emit energy in the form of light..\n\nthis is the explanation in the most condensed form... equations make it complicated for understanding... \n\nhope i did justice to ur query
275082
Galvanic corrosion tends to occur when dissimilar conducting materials are connected electrically and exposed to an electrolyte. The following fundamental requirements therefore have to be met for galvanic corrosion:\n\n   1. Dissimilar metals (or other conductors, such a graphite).\n   2. Electrical contact between the dissimilar conducting materials\n      (can be direct contact or a secondary connection such as a common grounding path).\n   3. Electrolyte (the corrosive medium) in contact with the dissimilar conducting materials.\n\nWhen placed in an electrolyte, different metals/alloys assume different corrosion potentials (refer to the galvanic series in seawater). It is this potential difference that is the driving force for galvanic current flow. The less noble material in the galvanic couple will become the anode and tend to undergo accelerated corrosion, while the more noble material (acting as a cathode) will tend to experience reduced corrosion effects. However, in some cases, chemical species produced at the cathode can degrade certain cathode materials.\n\nIt is not only the potential difference that controls the magnitude of galvanic current flow. The total resistance to current flow (see schematic of a simple corrosion cell, with both arrows showing conventional current direction) also needs to be considered, which can be broken down further into the following individual resistance components:\n\n   1. Resistance to (ionic) current flow of the electrolyte.\n   2. Resistance to current flow (by electron conduction) in the conducting materials and in the connection between them.\n   3. Resistance associated with polarization behavior of the anode.\n   4. Resistance associated with polarization behavior of the cathode (cathode efficiency).
195921
More than likely DC.  By using direct current you are always keeping one end the anode and the other the cathode, one side always is "giving" and the other end always "recieving."  DC systems have a tendancy to corrode one end and slowly eat away at it.
415651
see the diagrams in the source\n\nBig Idea\nWater is comprised of two elements - hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). Distilled water is pure and free of salts; thus it is a very poor conductor of electricity. By adding ordinary table salt (NaCl) to distilled water, it comes an electrolyte solution, able to conduct electricity.\n\nKey Concepts\n\n    * Ionic compounds such as salt water, conduct electricity when they dissolve in water.\n    * Ionic compounds consist of two or more ions that are held together by electrical attraction. One of the ions has a positive charge (called a cation) and the other has a negative charge (anion).\n    * Molecular compounds, such as water, are made of individual molecules that are bound together by shared electrons (i.e. covalent bonds).\n\nEssential Questions\n\n    * What happens to salt when it is dissolved in water?\n    * What are electrolytes?\n    * How can we determine the volume of dissolved ions in a water sample?\n    * How are atoms held together in an element?\n\nKnowledge and Skills\n\n    * Conduct an experiment to see that water can be split into its constituent ions through the process of electrolysis.\n    * Prepare and experiment with a 10% salt solution to better understand the process of ion exchange.\n    * Discuss and research the "softness" and "hardness" of water.\n    * Use the periodic table to identify elements and learn their characteristics.\n\nPrior Knowledge\n\n    * Define the difference between ionic and molecular compounds.\n    * Salt consists of sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl).\n    * Water is a tiny, V-shaped molecult with the molecular formula H2O.\n    * A basic understanding of how a battery works.\n    * Atoms are made of a positive nucleus surrounded by negative electrons.\n    * An atom's electron configuration, particularly the outermost electrons, determines how the atom can interact with other atoms.\n    * All matter is made up of atoms.\n    * Atoms of any element are alike, but different from atoms of other elements.\n\nCommon Preconceptions\n\n    * Students may think - "Water is a good conductor of electricity." Water is a very poor "conductor" of electricity. (The ionization constant for water is very small.) The reason it is dangerous to insert a light bulb while standing in a puddle of water is that water is a great solvent for ionic compounds. Tap water and fresh water typically contain dissolved ions in sufficient concentrations to enable the solution to be conductive. However, ions in solution carry the charge and are therefore responsible for the current, not the water itself.\n    * Students may think - "Electrons can flow through solutions." In "conduction of electricity" through solutions, electrons themselves do not pass through the solutions. Rather, the charge balance is maintained in the solution by movement of cations and anions toward the electrodes where charge transfer takes place at the solution interface.\n      Water is comprised of two elements - hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). Distilled water is pure and free of salts; thus it is a very poor conductor of electricity. By adding ordinary table salt (NaCl) to distilled water, it comes an electrolyte solution, able to conduct electricity.\n\nConcept Map\nThis lesson and activity relates to the branch "Phases of Water" from the comprehensive Aquarius Concept Map - Water & its patterns on Earth's surface.\n\nBackground\nIn chemistry, electrolysis is a method of separating bonded elements and compounds by passing an electric current through them. An ionic compound, in this case salt, is dissolved with an appropriate solvent, such as water, so that its ions are available in the liquid. An electrical current is applied between a pair of inert electrodes immersed in the liquid. The negatively charged electrode is called the cathode, and th positively charged one the anode. Each electrode attracts ions which are of
594670
The electrical discharge instantly spreads out over a large surface area of the conductor. Which is sea water. The amperage instantly diffuses over a large area sparing the fish.
146650
If you can get your hands on a solution of silver nitrate, it should be pretty easy.\n\nYou'll need a battery (9 volt should do it) and two lengths of wire.  Run one wire from the positive terminal of the battery and attach it to a silver electrode (available in science shops) or any piece of silver.  If you can't get the silver electrode, just use the copper wire.  This will plate some of the copper onto the ring, though.  Attach the other wire to the ring and to the negative battery terminal.  Lower the ring and the silver electrode into the silver nitrate solution (without letting them touch) and wait.\n\nThe positive silver ions in the solution will be attracted to the negative ring and should plate the ring nicely.
553727
What you are constructing is similar to a "thermocouple".\nA thermocouple works on the principle that in any two dissimilar metals there is a potential (voltage) difference;  Meaning simply, that one has more electrons than the other.  And like water, electrons seek equilibrium. So,  metal "A"can have a positive charge compared to metal "B" but have a negative charge compared to metal"C" because it posses more or less electrons when compared.  This potential difference and electron exchange is called "electrolysis" and will fluctuate with temperature changes.  According to how large your contact surfaces are may determine the tapering off of the potential difference due to equilibrium being reached quickly near the area of contact making it more difficult for electrons further away from this area to cross over. (I am assuming that these metals are not in solution).  \n  FYI.  You can make a thermometer out of these dissimilar metals by changing the temp at point of contact and recording the voltage at different temperatures.
547571
I believe the answer is conductive.  This is the process in which things are silver plated.  \n\nHere's how it goes.You fill a tray that has been lined with aluminum foil with salt water ( or is it plain water ? ).  You run a current through the aluminum foil.  The electrons in the the foil get excited due to the electrical current and start releasing aluminum ions ( Al-, I think )  Now, take your rusty, dull ' silver ' spoon.  Place it in the bath for about 2 hours.  Be careful,  electricity, water and living things don't mix well.  After 2 hours, remove the electrical current source and remove the spoon.  The free ions in the water would have coated the spoon, making it shining again.\n\nActually, toothpaste to clean the spoon is easier.
643419
You have the potential for galvanic corrosion.  Essentially, two metals at different potentials share electrons and one metal (the one with the higher potential) will start to erode and "plate" the other metal.\n\nTypically, using some sort of material that is a non-conductor (ceramics, rubber, etc) between the two or passivating the metal surfaces or coating the metal surfaces (prime and paint per ANSI standards) are your best options to prevent this.
205638
DC (direct current) only flows in one direction.  AC (alternating current) is current which changes direction back and forth with a regular period.\n   The electrons really do flow.  If you look at the "drift", or physical motion of an individual electron, it is much slower than you might think.  In a 12-gauge copper wire carrying 20 Amps of current, the average speed of an electron is quite slow; about 1/250 of a mile per hour.  There's just so many electrons moving along so slowly that it adds up to a substantial current.\n   Why then, when you flip a switch, does the light turn on so quickly?  That's due to wave propagation, which is much faster.  Think of waves in the deep ocean; the waves can move quite quickly, but if you're swimming in it, you're not moving nearly so quickly.  You feel a slight up and down motion, but the wave may be propagating at 30 MPH.  The water itself is not flowing along across the surface at 30 MPH, but the wave is.\n    It is exactly the same with electrons.  While the wave is moving very quickly, the electrons themselves move very little.  In the wiring of your house carrying 20 Amps of AC current, the electrons are wiggling back and forth 60 times per second over a distance of about one thousandth of an inch.\n    However, the wave moves much much faster, when you flip the switch, the change in voltage travels along the wiring at very near the speed of light (it's slowed down about 30% below the speed of light by the plastic insulation on the wire).\n    With that prelude, to answer your questions:\n- the copper wire is not typically called an ion.  During current flow, an atom may hand its extra electron to the next copper atom, but it also gets an electron from the atom on the other side.  Thus, each atom always stays about neutral in charge.  This is described as the copper atoms forming a lattice through which the "sea" of electrons can freely flow.\n- a heater does not work by converting kinetic energy of electrons to heat quite the way you describe.  Instead, it uses the electrical energy available on the conductors of the power cord, which takes the form of electrostatic force of attraction which pushes electrons from the negative line to the positive line.  As an electron eneters the heating element from the negative line, it feels a strong force of attraction towards the other end of the heating element, which is connected to the positive line.  The electron accelerates due to this force, and speeds up somewhat, but it travels only a fraction of a millimeter before it collides with a microscopic defect in the lattice of the heating element, and decelerates and transfers its kinetic energy into vibration of the lattice of atoms of the heating element (i.e. into heat).  It then accelerates again, then hits another defect.\n   The main thing which distinguishes the metal of the heating element from the metal of the copper wires feeding them is that the heating element has a higher density of lattice defects (i.e. higher resistance).  An excellent analogy is American falls at Niagra, where the water approaches in a deep, broad stream moving relatively slowly at high potential (i.e. the negative copper wire), then tumbles down quickly under acceleration of gravity, losing potential, but hitting a bunch of rocks on the way down.  Hitting each rock slows the water down, and also transfers some heat to the rock, but after each impact the water accelerates again as it falls to the next rock.  Then, the water leaves at lower potential in another slow, deep stream (i.e. the positive copper wire).
189864
1) copper has metallic bonding, the reason it conducts electricity is that in the lattice structure the outer electrons of the atoms are free to move between eachother, refered to as a sea of delocalised electrons.  The electrons can thus carry a current thru the structure.\n\n2) There is only one type of bonding in PVC, covalent bonds.  It does not conduct because it has no charge carrying pieces to it's structure.\n\n3) -4\n\n4)  it isn't attracted to one sodium by a bond, it's attacted to a sodium ion by electrostatic force.\n\n5) you can point to the bond regardless of where the electrons came from or went because at the point of reaction it is unlikely that the two recipients and doners will come to gether to make a single molecule NaCl crystal.\n\n6)i'm not listing 30 ionic compounds, just google it.\nbasic types are single ion pair, multi atom ion pairs, variations between ect.\n\n7)go onto wiki and look up those three different bond types and it will give u the answers.\n\n8)graphite has planer structure of aromaticaly bonded carbons with only weak interactions between A and C layers of the structure with a repulsion force from the cloud of delocalised electrons between A and B layers thus allowing the sheets to slip apart easily.\n\nworth about 60 points.
177474
Short answer:  Electricity and magnetism are two sides of the same coin; each can cause the other.  For instance, moving a wire through a magnetic field can create a current, while current flowing through a wire also creates a magnetic field.  Thus, one can generate electricty by using some kinetic energy source--water, wind, what have you--move powerful magnets through wire coils.  There are other ways, of course.
8600
It uses a permanent magnet which is rotated by a crank. The spinning magnet is positioned so that its north and south poles passed by a piece of iron wrapped with wire. It was discovered that the spinning magnet produced a pulse of current in the wire each time a pole passed the coil. Furthermore, the north and south poles of the magnet induce currents in opposite directions. By adding a commutator, it is possible to convert the alternating current to direct current.
557293
First, to the basics...\n\nAC is Alternating Current.  This means that the current moves in one direction and then the other, changing at a frequency of 60 time per second, its unit of measurement being Hertz (Hz).  The generator produces this current at very high voltages which are sent down the transmission wires to local substations, where the voltages are reduced to the familiar 110 volts which appears in your electrical panel.   At the transformer of the substation, the transmission lines to your house are isolated from the ground and "float".  This means that there is no path for the current to flow from either wire to the ground or to each other.  Now, in order to use the power (which is a product of the voltage times the current)  the current must flow through a load, which is any energy using device from a light-bulb to a toaster to the pump on you washing machine.  Since both sides of the wire (both the black (hot) wire and the white (neutral) wire) are isolated from ground to begin with, attaching the neutral to the ground does not provide a path for current flow.  Only if a path is made from the black to the white wire will there be current flow.   If we connect a lightbulb between the black and white wires, we will complete this circuit.  Remember that power (measured in Watts) is the product of Voltage (measured in Volts) and current (measured in Amps).  If we know the amount of Voltage (110V) and the power used (say 100W in a light bulb), we can figure that the amps used are 100W / 110V = ~.91 Amps.  If the circuit breaker is rated for 15 amps, it would require at least 17 of those bulbs to exceed the capacity of the breaker and cause it to trip.  I hope this clears things up for you...
82223
Distill the water. The WATER comes out of the tubes, not the salt.\n    As for testing, just drink a little of it. Do you *LIKE* it?\nNo? Well you better make sure that you don't put it back in the same cup you used for collection.\nOK the water will still pass an electric current through it if it has any impurities. Completely pure water will not.\nUnless you use more than around one volt, in which case the bubbles you see escaping will be hydrogen and oxygen. That means you've gone too far with the testing part.
139876
try out an electrolysis experiment with the battery u wil get to know abt the charges of the battery the place where the metal move is the negative charged one and where the non metal moves tht is the positive terminal