Science Questions

Can we use water for fuel?

Is there a lost formula for using water as our main fuel? Do you guys know anything about this? Ken in Forrington

Water itself cannot be a chemical fuel because it is the end product of a very favourable chemical reaction. However the vast amount of water on this planet, which is of course comprised of hydrogen and oxygen, can be split into hydrogen and oxygen if we apply large amounts of primary energy such as solar energy or even nuclear. From this type of reaction may come our salvation in the future when we no longer have any fossil fuels to use. Hydrogen is not a primary fuel but an energy carrier or storable fuel that can be obtained by energising water with a primary fuel, which causes it to form hydrogen and oxygen.

September 2006