“Do any of you know different ways to provide energy fuels?” Was how Peter Zack, from the Maine Energy Education Program started his presentation. Seventh and Eighth graders came to listen to Zack to become more energy literate through participating in an experiential educational program that focuses on understanding the economic, social, and environmental impacts of energy choices.

After watching a10-minute video on the production of fuel cells, we separated into partners and conducted our own hydrogen and oxygen-powered plastic cars. First, we placed two cylinders into our car and filled each with water. Once they were connected to the fuel cell, the electric energy from the cell caused one of the cylinders to produce hydrogen and the other to stay oxygen. Zack gave an example as the hydrogen being separated from the oxygen by a tennis net.

The hydrogen molecules would join the oxygen molecules by crawling under the net, but their atoms would get left behind. The atoms would find another way to reconnect with their molecules by going around the net. The faster the atoms move around the net, the more energy the cell will make. Once our atoms started moving, our car turned in circles and we had produced energy. Now aware of how energy could be produced, could Hydrogen Fuel Cells help our world and end the gasoline crisis?