Background

Why are we doing this project?

We are Drexel engineering students working on a freshman design project. Each lab has a designated theme and ours is Mythbusters, just like the popular show. Our myth is investigating if a boat can be powered using water as a main element.

Our Idea

Use an electrochemical cell to charge a storage battery, which, would then power a motor. The motor would run electrically and move the boat.

The Chemistry Behind It

Electrochemical cells produce energy by using chemical reactions. An electrochemical cell contains two half-cells that react to produce an electric potential. Each half cell has an electrode (or a piece of metal) in an electrolyte. The half-cells are connected by a salt bridge so that electrons can travel from one half cell to the other. The reaction between the two metals and the electrolyte is a redox reaction. On one end of the cell, the metal electrode reacts with the electrolyte and loses electrons. Metal ions detach from the electrodes during oxidation, and the electrodes slowly dissolve. The electrons travel through the cell into the other side of the electrode. As one electrode loses an electron, the other electrode gains an electron. This is how a redox reaction works. Voltage is the movement of electrons from one place to another. This is how electrochemical cells produce electric potential and direct current. (http://makahiki.kcc.hawaii.edu/chem/everyday_electro.html)