Collecting Hydrogen and Oxygen

Step 4 Combined Setup

Now you're ready to place your electrodes into the electrolyte (saltwater / dilute acid). Arrange the electrodes so that the bubbles are floating into the bottles. If you have no bubbles then you did something wrong if you only have bubbles coming out of the negative side then you may be using actual lead (unless you are intentionally oxidizing some other metal this is normal).

Comments

[Wyle_E]

Salt isn't such a good idea; you'll get chlorine instead of oxygen. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is better. Best is a dilute solution of a strong (meaning strongly ionizing) acid. Another source of carbon electrodes is the anode rods of zinc-carbon batteries, the cheap kind usually labeled "heavy duty".