Electrolysis of water (Nicholson and Carlisle)
Electrólisis del agua (Nicholson y Carlisle)
- Date
- 1800 · confidence high
- Place
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Within weeks of learning of Volta's pile they decomposed water into hydrogen and oxygen by passing current through two submerged wires. It was the first electrolysis and showed that current produces chemical change.
What it led to
- electrochemistry and isolation of elements by electrolysis (Davy: sodium, potassium)
- Faraday's laws of electrolysis
- electrolytic hydrogen production