How to make Hydrogen

Hello I will start by saying that this is my first instructable and would value any input that may lead to improve this article.
I would also like to advise everyone to take safety precautions.
DANGEROUS THINGS ARE DANGEROUS you get it?

Throughout this article I will  show you how to create, store and use your hydrogen.The hydrogen you will be making utilizes the hydrogen producing reaction between NaOH (SodiumHydroxide) and Al (Aluminum) in the presence of water. I will not go into the chemistry here, however, if you wish, Google will hold the answers.

Step 1 Materials

You will need the following materials to make, store and use hydrogen.
1. Drain Cleaning Crystals (Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH))
2. Aluminum Foil (1Meter or so will do)
3. A Beverage in a GLASS bottle
4. Balloons
5. Ignition source
6. Water
7. AND MOST OF ALL SAFETY EQUIPMENT

In total all this cost me less than $15 dollars Australian.

Comments

[lfskx125]

this hydrogen experiment is awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thecoonskin]

Just thought I'd let everyone whos doing this know, if you get an external burn from this use vinegar and water to clean it. This stuff burnt right through my chuck taylors and burnt my big toe. Also the hydrogen balloon blew up a little to close to my face, so you should also wear saftey goggles. Haven't had this much fun in awhile!

[akshat.v.tiwari]

I love it .....and the idea of the lantern is fantabulous this would help in my chem projects......THNX!!!!!! :)

[fwjs28]

can't you do the same thing w/ electrolosys (sp?) and put a bottle over the area with the most bubbles (reasoning-more hydrogen, so more bubbles means more h)...or am i thinking of something else?

[finniano]

wouldnt there be oxygen mixed in so it wouldnt be pure?

[agent harmsy]

You can, but it takes a HELL of a lot longer...

[chip123]

Unless you use a very high current, ie. an arc welder. Then it goes pretty quick. If I remember correctly, that is :s

[Cobalt59]

electrolysis is much easier. No running to the store and getting NaOH. All you need is electricity, water, baking soda/salt/other electrolyte, and a container to hold it all.

[oeroeg]

tidak harus terdampar dulu jika anda bisa menggunakan / mengembangkannya akan didapatkan suatu energi yang besar

[Eddyteddy753]

Does the reaction produce oxygen as well as hydrogen?

[ToddisI]

Very good instructable!! The lantern seems like a good idea... if only the world new that if they were stranded on an island with drain cleaner, a glass bottle and some tin foil, they alsom have fire...

[tennisbat]

I have done the experiment. It did work but not that much Hydrogen was produced. How should one improve?

[eulaliaaaa!]

You could use vinegar and zinc.

[nutsandbolts_64]

Tell me that the sodium hydroxide corrodes away the oxide layer on the aluminum foil causing the aluminum to be reactive with water which is present in the solution which reacts with the Al to produce hydrogen! *catches breath* So am I right?

[boomystuffisfun]

The easiest was is magnesium strips and dilute hydrochloric acid in an erlenmeyer flask, put the baloon or whatever you want to collect it in over the top of the erlenmeyer flask. Its a great way to get hydrogen ballons! (then u can add youre oxygen for an even bigger boom lol)

[jacobrocks]

how diluted?

[professorred]

I believe the ideal fuel to oxygen ratio for ignition of hydrogen is 2:1. the same as in electrolysis of water.

[harveyandbanjo]

here we have some more of these bombs hope u enjoy

[jacobrocks]

wonder what would happen if you lit small fires areound that...

[MrPyro1010]

wat did u use for the last one? in part two

[flymudpie]

This isn't to smart since that gas can make its way to your lungs causing dangerous complications. When you use fire the hydrogen is demolished.

[zoombaga]

wait but i thought sodium hydroxide, when in a liquid form, broke glass because of the silicon or something like that...

[Jaycub]

If you get it really hot and melt it sodium hydroxide will dissolve glass, but in solution with water it won't.

[book106]

fsfsdfsdfsd

[jpoopdog]

i have found out how to solve your heavy water vapour problem (yay) i did a test and found out that methylated spirits can substitute water , but i tested it out in a test tube and the reaction wasnt violent , but it was still effective. the problem is though i used 9parts meth and 1 part gasoline so eventualy the ballon melted and im not 2 sure wether it was the meth or the gasoline what i did find out though is that under the pressure the ballon was exerting the meth hardly evapourated. hope this helps . ice cube idea has been thwarted , har-dee-dar

[ilias]

i will try it with hydrocloric acid (HCl)

[jpoopdog]

i have a question also which of these chemicals is the catalyst in this experiment aka which doesnt deplete in the reaction , you could just add less of it to slow down the reaction as for your idea of removing steam from the hydrogen i have an idea all you need is some cotton and a hose/pipe / tube shove some cotton/cloth into tube/hose in several places but it must be upright or else plain water will just be pumped into the balloon BTW have you considerd hooking it onto a dismantled air compressor so you have a sucktion hose and liquifieng it inside the compressor? or using the hydrogen to make your voice ssqueaky coz it works hydrogen is the ligtest gas helium is the 2/3rd lightest

[GalaxyX]

I did this in my g6 science fair experiment. although i used hydrochloric acid and put aluminum in it. this is not pure hydrogen though because it contains some oxygen in it too

[Jaycub]

I don't know where to get the lye, so i just use vinegar and drop in magnesium instead of aluminum. This reaction is much slower though.

[ty weston]

can u use aluminum cans??if u cant y not ????

[Jaycub]

Yes, you can.

[steven07]

I don't believe you can as it would react with the NaOH thus destroying the can. However aluminum cans may have a protective coating, but i wouldn't see any point in using a possible reactant as a container

[Derin]

well,put the can into an inert container and free reactant happens

[bylerfamily]

They do have a protective coating.

[damasta]

what if you cut a strip of an aluminum can and throw it in the bottle, will it react?

[steven07]

yes it would

[mattameo213]

Steven07, Hydrogen reacts destructively with balloons. I've been in a hydrogen cell contest and a lot of people learned the hard way. It will store for a while, just don't keep it for too long. Please add this to your instructible.

[bylerfamily]

COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just made some hydrogen.The first balloon just went pop.then I lit the balloon.....WHOOSH a huge orange flame went around the balloon.I got burnt but it was FUN!!!!!!!!!GREAT INSTRUCTABLE!!!!!!!My arm still hurts:(

[junits15]

your formating isnt displaying properly

[pleasant18]

one idea is connect a tube from the reaction chamber and run it under ice water as if you were distilling alcohol then collect the products, or bubble the hydrogen through ice water to purify and then collect