Electrolisis Bacem

I always believe in science, even before I got 12. It's like Esqueleto in Nacho Libre says: I believe in Science. I dunno why you always have to be judging me because I only believe in Science... if you know what i mean. I remember skimming through chemistry textbooks with interest even though with lack of enough elementary chemistry knowledge at the moment, not to mention some of the books are not in malay because some are textbooks that are meant for english-stream education while some are actually college level, and get myself so hooked up with the experiments that could be enacted with what little I have around me. The concept of electrolysis had always been fascinated me then that I am able to run some of such experiments with different electrolyte solutions, ranging from the simplest of table salt to the ever nonsense of yellow sunquick drink. Then I’d also experiment with different amount of electric current, that I can always purchase at kedai shukor, at a price of 1.5V for 60 cents for an eveready battery power, and using the batteries to experiment with parallel and series circuitry by observing how fast the bubbles are evolved, if there are any, to how bright the light bulb lit, if I attach one into the circuit of course. Not to mention I also tinker around with the electrodes, using different kind of wyres that I would dip straight into the solution and sometimes attach different kinds of metal at the ends ranging from a rusty nail to a coin. I also remember tasting a kind of white sediment that precipitates when I ran a salt solution cell that the white stuff tasted really sucked if not seized my tongue with prickling sensation; I guess that’s the first time I taste a direct sodium electrolysis derivatives, of sodium hyroxide or other sodium products of differing oxidation state, if you know what I mean.

Of course finally you’d think you can’t help it but to bring the whole relationship with science to the next level, so I decide that I might as well try a bigger source of power. I bring forth this matter to Airine who always have a knack to make things more interesting, and in a jiff we assembled the needed apparatus. Because Airine is new in this primitive electrolysis business I have to get Airine started with the basic apparatus arrangements, a salt solution-based that uses salt solution as the electrolyte, and two ordinary copper wyre as both to complete the circuit and for the electrodes as well.

Since I am already bored with using the eveready battery power from kedai shukor I decide that we might wanna try the real electric, by real I mean the 240V 50Hz alternating current that powers Airine’s and most malaysian houses. We stick one ends of the copper wyre into each of the non-earth hole of the electric socket, while the other ends straight into the salt solution that is in a small transparent bowl so that we can monitor any changes that takes place in the solution. And we set this whole thing up with the power turned off, of course.

When we turn the power on however it seems that nothing is happening. No bubble, no nothing. No bzztt, even. This really perplexed me because I would expect with 240V it should give us a hell of bubbles compared to 1.5V, if you know what I mean. Well that is weird so we both decide to leave it be for a while; probably the salt solution needs some kind of mysterious fermentation before giving off something exciting, and we both watch telly for whatever rubbish it shows, while eating this peculiar very sour reddish ginger pickle that can make you pull a sour face the moment you put the pickle on your mouth, that one asam (bacem) halia merah.

A while had passed and we both checked on the apparatus and still there’s no change takes place, with me biting the red ginger pickle gingerly. That’s weird. So I decide what if I stick the pickle in the solution, will that give us something.

Of course it gives us something. The very moment the end of the pickle dips into the salt solution I feel a bzzzt feeling in my brain that travels throughout my body rapidly, as if I was seized by somekind of a ghost, an electric one if you will. This weird power jerked me in a splitsecond that I got my hands flailing and straightaway I managed to force my pickle out from the solution.

Seeing me in such a weird posture Airine asks what is it but of course I don't know that was caused by the electric current. We thought it’s all okay before we walked away a few steps from the electric socket to let the experiment run again for a while, and suddenly after I really really regained my conscious thought that what I just have was an electric shock. Damn, an electric shock.

And when we both realised that it is indeed an electric shock we both quickly turn off the power of the socket and wow it is such a great lesson on electrochemistry that day. Not only that we learn that alternating current is such a bad source of power for electrolysis, we also learn that pickle can conduct electricity. Good thing it has quite high electric resistance, while still allowing some current runs through to send actual signal for me to learn that I can feel electricity but not enough to roast me so that I still have my life intact to live and tell the tale ha ha.

But if ever I get the chance to put the pickle as an electrode without getting myself electrocuted, I would be really interested to see what kind of reaction it might produce, of course.