Experimenting with Electrolysis: Mystery of Yellow Water

[Stratosphere]

So, today I was bored and decided to play around with some water and electricity. I took a 9v battery and attached 2 steel wires at both terminals, then I attached 2 steel screws to the ends of the wires. I used a bit of NaCl to speed up the process too.

When I placed the electrodes in the water, only the anode was producing any gas, while the cathode was doing absolutely nothing. After several seconds (maybe 45 or so) the water turned a yellow color (almost like chlorine) and has small suspensions inside it. What happened? The yellow color couldn't be cl₂ could it?

Maybe the steel reacted strangely with something in the water?

Maybe the Cl is reacting with the iron cathode?

 

[janhaa]

this is the most common and important electrolysis. at the anode Cl^- are oxidized to yellow Cl_2 (g). at the cathode, the halv reactions involves water molecules, which are easier to reduce than sodium ions. the cathode will forme hydrogen gas. so the solution around this electrode becomes basic

 

[Borek]

Chlorine is not that soluble in water to not evolve, and even when dissolved, it doesn't substantially change water color. Sounds to me more like you have been dissolving electrode material.

 

[Stratosphere]

Chlorine is not that soluble in water to not evolve, and even when dissolved, it doesn't substantially change water color. Sounds to me more like you have been dissolving electrode material.

Yeah, I think you're right, I changed the electrodes to carbon, which has eliminated the problem, now I'm getting H₂ O₂ at the correct places now.

So what do you think happened? The chlorine was reacting with the iron forming iron (III) chloride?