Distillation:
Electrolysis:
Spectrometer Use:
- Add 2mL of deuterium oxide to 100mL of distilled water within the distillation flask.
- Plug the hot plate into the wattmeter, which in turn should be plugged into an outlet. Reset the counter on the wattmeter.
- Put a stopper on the distillation flask and open two holes, inserting a thermometer in one.
- Attach the condenser to its stand, putting in on a strong slant, with the collection flask beneath the lower end.
- Attach the flask to the condenser using the shorter tubing that can be inserted into the other hole of the stopper and the top of the condenser.
- To the tap of the sink, attach one of the longer tubings and connect it to the the higher outlet on the side of the condenser. Attach the other to the outlet below, insert the tubing in the sink for water to run out.
- Put the distillation flask on the hot plate.
- Turn on the tap so that a steady flow goes through the condenser. The water should be cold.
- Adjust hot plate until water temperature is exactly 100 degrees. This can be measured using the thermometer.
- Wait for 70% of the distilled water to evaporate before turning off the hotplate and removing the collection flask. Measure the volume of the water collected.
- Note the amount of kilowatts per hour using the wattmeter.
- Take a sample of the water within the collection flask and put it in a test tube.
- Repeat steps 1-12
Electrolysis:
- Insert 2 AA batteries into the battery container included in the PEM cell kit.
- Inject 2mL of water into the PEM cell.
- Fill the hydrogen and oxygen storage containers with 30mL of water each.
- Connect the tubes from the fuel cell to the hydrogen and oxygen storage containers.
- Connect the battery to the electrodes and the multimeter. Note the time and the current.
- Turn the battery on. When bubbles begin rise in the hydrogen beaker turn the battery off and note the time.
- Detach the battery from the PEM cell, and attach the motor. Wait until the motor stops running.
- Extract the generated water from the fuel cell, transferring it into the collection beaker.
- Repeat steps 2-7.
- Measure the total amount of water generated and pour it into a test tube.
Spectrometer Use:
- For the distilled control sample, measure 50mL of distilled water and 1mL of deuterium and mix them before pouring the solution into a test tube.
- For the tap water control sample, measure 50mL of tap water and 1mL of deuterium and mix them before pouring the solution into a test tube.
- Measure the amounts of deuterium using a mass spectrometer (performed by UBC Department of Mass Spectrometry).