Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
A hydrogen fuel cell reacts hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, with water as the only waste product.
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A hydrogen fuel cell reacts hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, with water as the only waste product.
- No carbon dioxide at point of use
- Hydrogen must be produced and stored
- Used in some buses and cars
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?
Within Chemistry, which covers atoms, bonding, reactions, the periodic table, organic chemistry and the chemistry of everyday life, this topic explains Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. Chemistry links what you can see in the lab to the particles and bonds behind it, so each topic here shows that link in a model.
Check that you can explain Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Hydrogen and Fuel Cells helps you explain why substances behave as they do, from cleaning products and food to medicines.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in detail
Hydrogen is a clean fuel, because burning it produces only water. A hydrogen fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to make electricity directly, with water as the only waste: at the anode, H₂ → 2H⁺ + 2e⁻, and at the cathode, O₂ + 4H⁺ + 4e⁻ → 2H₂O.
Fuel cells are efficient and can power vehicles, with fast refuelling compared with charging a battery. Challenges include producing hydrogen, often from natural gas, which releases carbon dioxide unless it is made by electrolysis using renewable energy, and the difficulty of storing and distributing it safely.
How the interactive helps you understand Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Watch the energy stores in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the energy stores responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells.
Real-life uses and examples
- Link Hydrogen and Fuel Cells to everyday products such as cleaning agents, food and medicines.
- Read a chemical equation or diagram and work out what Hydrogen and Fuel Cells shows.
- Explain Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in an exam by linking the particles involved to what you observe.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up the names of substances or ions when you describe Hydrogen and Fuel Cells.
- Describing what happens without explaining the particles or bonds involved.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
What is Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?
A hydrogen fuel cell reacts hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, with water as the only waste product.
What are the most important points about Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?
The main points are: No carbon dioxide at point of use; Hydrogen must be produced and stored; Used in some buses and cars.
Why is Hydrogen and Fuel Cells useful?
Understanding Hydrogen and Fuel Cells helps you explain why substances behave as they do, from cleaning products and food to medicines.
How can I practise Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?
Related topics in Chemistry include Matter and Its Properties, Particle Theory, Atomic Structure.