modest Posted September 6, 2008 Report Share Posted September 6, 2008 Thanks Modest I think what has been tripping me up understanding-wise is the difference in the density(?) of the two gases...I know hydrogen is lighter by volume (I was going to guess by about half... and I would have been wrong I see as hydrogen is 0.084G/L and oxygen 1.33G/L according to Kalzium.) Yes, you're all kinds of right. An O2 molecule will weigh about 32 grams per mol and an H2 molecule will weigh only about 2 grams per mol... So, oxygen is surely much heavier (or more accuratly, oxygen has much higher mass per molecule)... but according to the ideal gas law if you have an equal number of molecules of hydrogen and and oxygen, they will have about equal volume (so long as they are the same temperature and pressure). So, yeah, you say it best - hydrogen is less dense. Splitting water will make two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen by volume, but the oxygen part will weigh quite a bit more. ~modest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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