Hydrogen question

[captoro]

Hello,

If you take water it is possible to create hydrogen and oxygen.
Also by passing a dc current you can obtain OH (hydroxyl) and H3O. My
question is, which (OH or H3O) comes closer to hydrogen? OH because it
only has an Oxygen? or H3O because it has more H then O ?

Ken

[Salmon Egg]

In article

Post by captoro
Hello,
If you take water it is possible to create hydrogen and oxygen.
Also by passing a dc current you can obtain OH (hydroxyl) and H3O. My
question is, which (OH or H3O) comes closer to hydrogen? OH because it
only has an Oxygen? or H3O because it has more H then O ?
Ken

Study English so that you can communicate better than you post indicates.

Second, study chemistry a bit more. Even high school chemistry will give
you insight to understand your question. Study acid-base interaction.

[captoro]

Post by Salmon Egg
In article

Post by captoro
Hello,
If you take water it is possible to create hydrogen and oxygen.
Also by passing a dc current you can obtain OH (hydroxyl) and H3O. My
question is, which (OH or H3O) comes closer to hydrogen? OH because it
only has an Oxygen? or H3O because it has more H then O ?
Ken

Study English so that you can communicate better than you post indicates.
Second, study chemistry a bit more. Even high school chemistry will give
you insight to understand your question. Study acid-base interaction.
--
Sam
Conservatives are against Darwinism but for natural selection.
Liberals are for Darwinism but totally against any selection.

HI

I guess i had the option of going to a grade school and look through
chemistry book to give me an insight, or post a message on a chemistry
forum and have somebody answer me by either one if they wish too.
My answer would be OH, anyone to confirm?
thanks
Ken

[Dieter Britz]

Post by captoro
Hello,
If you take water it is possible to create hydrogen and oxygen.
Also by passing a dc current you can obtain OH (hydroxyl) and H3O. My
question is, which (OH or H3O) comes closer to hydrogen? OH because it
only has an Oxygen? or H3O because it has more H then O ?

Let's assume a neutral solution in water (you need an electrolyte
consisting of something that will not itself be electrolysed, to
carry the current, because water is not very conductive). And assume
inert electrodes as well. So the only thing that gets electrolysed is
water.

At the negative electrode (the cathode) you reduce water to hydrogen
gas and at the same time produce hydroxyl ions OH-:
2H2O + 2e- --> H2 + 2OH- (e- being an electron).

At the positive electrode (the anode) you get oxygen gas plus hydrogen ions
H+, which combine with water molecules to make H3O+ ions:
2H2O --> 2H+ + O2 + 2e-; H+ + H2O --> H3O+

The H3O+ ions wander over towards the cathode, meeting the hydroxyl ions
wandering away from there, and they react to form water again:
OH- + H3O+ --> 2 H2O.
So although you will get, apart from the two gases, local changes in pH,
overall the solution stays neutral.

All this changes slightly if you do it in an alkaline or acid solution,
but the substances involved are the same.