Oxygen, a waste product in this case, is released to the atmosphere. But the hydrogen is retained and combined with carbon dioxide to form simple carbohydrates, the beginnings of an elaborate food chain that feeds and powers nearly all living things, including people. If conducted on a grand scale, the simple electrolysis of water could generate substantial amounts of hydrogen to fulfill our basic energy needs. To demonstrate his point, Livesay inserts a simple device consisting of two electrodes, each covered by what appears to be a large inverted test tube, into a beaker of water. He presses a switch, permitting an electric current to pass between the electrodes.
Bubbles rise to the top and become trapped in the test tubes.
After a few minutes, Livesay again presses the switch and lifts the device from the water. He holds a lighted match under one of the test tubes. The match flares noticeably. Next, he holds the match under the open end of the other tube. That was the hydrogen.