section_path: Properties/Electrical conductivity and electrolysis
section_name: Electrical conductivity and electrolysis
paragraph_text: Electrical conductivity and electrolysis
  
  Pure water has a low electrical conductivity, which increases with the dissolution of a small amount of ionic material such as common salt.
  
  Liquid water can be split into the elements hydrogen and oxygen by passing an electric current through it—a process called electrolysis. The decomposition requires more energy input than the heat released by the inverse process (285.8 kJ/ mol, or 15.9 MJ/kg).