Mass and charge transfer within a floating water bridge

Abstract

When high voltage is applied to pure water filled into two beakers close to each other, a connection forms spontaneously, giving the impression of a floating water bridge 1-8. This phenomenon is of special interest, since it comprises a number of phenomena currently tackled in modern water science. In this work, the charge and mass transfer through the water bridge are investigated with schlieren visualization and laser interferometry. It can be shown that the addition of a pH dye increases the H+ and OH- production with subsequent electrolysis, whereas schlieren and interferometric methods reveal another mechanism where charge and mass transfer appear to be coupled. Whereas this mechanism seems to be responsible for the electrolysis-less charge and mass transfer in the water bridge, it is increasingly superseded by the electrochemical mechanism with rising conductivity. Thus it can be shown that a pH dye does only indirectly visualize the charge transfer in the water bridge since it is dragged along with the water flow like any other dye, and additionally promotes conventional electrochemical conduction mechanisms, thereby enhancing electrolysis and reducing the masscoupled charge transport and thus destabilizing the bridge.