Final answer:
The gases produced by adding energy from a battery to water through electrolysis are hydrogen and oxygen, distinct from the gas (steam) produced by heating water. Electrolysis involves a chemical reaction using a battery to break chemical bonds in water molecules, resulting in hydrogen and oxygen gases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of adding energy from a battery to water to produce gases is known as electrolysis, which separates water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. This chemical reaction is different from heating water, which simply increases the water's temperature and potentially forms steam if the water reaches its boiling point. In contrast, during electrolysis, a battery provides the electrical energy necessary, via an electrochemical reaction, to break the chemical bonds in water molecules.
Batteries are self-contained devices that use chemical reactions to produce electrical energy. A battery's potential energy decreases when it does work, like when it provides energy for electrolysis. This energy reduction is balanced by the increase of energy somewhere else in the system, as per the conservation of energy principle.