2009/12/29 Stephen A. Lawrence <sa...@pobox.com>: > > > On 12/29/2009 11:19 AM, Jones Beene wrote: >> Since water can be split into H2 and O2 with 1.23 volts - does it stand to >> reason that one could get 1.5 eV in return ? That was rhetorical; and of >> course this one of nature's built-in cases of "systemic overunity" - >> > > Now you're neglecting the splitting cost of H2->2H and O2->2H.
No he isn't, that's comprised in the price (if you use the correct value of 1.48V that is). What's the energy needed to go from water to the gases? 1.48V, times the charge of the transferred electrons (1 electron per hydrogen atom). Of course, you get the same energy when going the other way. Michel