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13.
The Experiments
The following experiments demonstrate how various power sources, like a battery, solar panel
and wind turbine can electrolyze water using a fuel cell. Multiple loads like resistors, capacitors
and a small DC motor are used to provide loads.
The fuel cell acts as a both a power source and a load in the experiments.
The following is a listing of each of the experiments. For best results, the user is encouraged to
perform these experiments in the order that they are presented.
Experiment #1 – Purging the Fuel Cell to Optimize Its Performance
Experiment #2 – Electrolysis Using a Battery
Experiment #3 – Understanding Ohm’s Law
Experiment #4 – Electrolysis User a Solar Panel
Experiment #5 – Powering a Motor Load
Experiment #6 – Electrolysis Using a Wind Turbine
Experiment #7 – Powering a Capacitor Load
Experiment #8 –Create electricity from ethanol and water
Experiment #9 – Exploring the effects of temperature
Making the Most of Your Experiments
The conditions created in performing the following experiments are considered nearly
ideal, since great care was taken to produce valid, observable results. Your results can
equal and even exceed those shown if sufficient care and attention are paid to the setup
and procedures. In any event, your results will vary from those here due to variations in
equipment setup and environmental conditions like sun and wind.
