Carla Shoemaker & Tabbatha Monroe
February 2010
Build a battery
Questions to think about before we get started: What are batteries used for? Why do we need them? What do you think they are made of? Can we build a battery on our own? Will it be as powerful as a store bought battery?
Science Standards:
GLE 0307., 0407., 0507. Inq. 1 Explore different phenomena by asking questions, making logical predictions, planning investigations, and recording data.
GLE 0307., 0407., 0507. Inq. 2 Select and use appropriate tools and simple equipment to conduct an investigation.
Background Information: Electricity as you probably already know is the flow of electrons through a conductive path like wire. This path is called a circuit. Batteries have three parts: the anode (-), the cathode (+), and the electrolyte. More information
Classroom Demonstration Activity:
Questions to think about before we get started: What are batteries used for? Why do we need them? What do you think they are made of? Can we build a battery on our own? Will it be as powerful as a store bought battery?
Science Standards:
GLE 0307., 0407., 0507. Inq. 1 Explore different phenomena by asking questions, making logical predictions, planning investigations, and recording data.
GLE 0307., 0407., 0507. Inq. 2 Select and use appropriate tools and simple equipment to conduct an investigation.
Background Information: Electricity as you probably already know is the flow of electrons through a conductive path like wire. This path is called a circuit. Batteries have three parts: the anode (-), the cathode (+), and the electrolyte. More information
Classroom Demonstration Activity:
Lemon Power
18 gauge copper wire, wire clippers, steel paper clip, sheet of course sandpaper, & lemon
1. Teacher should strip two inches of the insulation off the copper wire (you might want to have this already done).Clip the two inches of bare wire with the wire clippers.
2. Straighten out the paper clip and cut about two inches of the straightened steel wire, or use a two inch strip of zinc.
3. Use the sandpaper to smooth any rough spots on the wire and paper clip or the piece of zinc.
4. Squeeze the lemon gently with you hands. But do not rupture the lemons skin. (Rolling it on a table with a little pressure works great).
5. Push the pieces of the paper clip and the wire into the lemon so that they aer very close together, but not touching.
6. Moisten the tip of you tongue with saliva. Touch the tip of your wet tongue to the free ends of the two wires. (You should be able to feel a slight tingle on the tip of your tongue and you should taste a metallic taste).
1. Teacher should strip two inches of the insulation off the copper wire (you might want to have this already done).Clip the two inches of bare wire with the wire clippers.
2. Straighten out the paper clip and cut about two inches of the straightened steel wire, or use a two inch strip of zinc.
3. Use the sandpaper to smooth any rough spots on the wire and paper clip or the piece of zinc.
4. Squeeze the lemon gently with you hands. But do not rupture the lemons skin. (Rolling it on a table with a little pressure works great).
5. Push the pieces of the paper clip and the wire into the lemon so that they aer very close together, but not touching.
6. Moisten the tip of you tongue with saliva. Touch the tip of your wet tongue to the free ends of the two wires. (You should be able to feel a slight tingle on the tip of your tongue and you should taste a metallic taste).
A battery contains chemicals that it uses to make electricity. You can make your own battery with materials that you may find in any junk drawer. When these chemicals are combined they produce electricity.
Lets Experiment now!
Lets Experiment now!
First we will need the following items:
Materials:
2 wires with stripped ends
6 copper coins (pennies)
Tape
Marker
Saucer
Paper towels
Scissors
Aluminum Foil
Warm salty water
Ear Phones
Now lets do the procedure:
Draw and cut out 6 coin-sized foil circles and paper circles
Tape one wire to a coin and the other wire to a foil circle
Dip a paper circle in the warm salty
water
Put the foil circle with a wire on the saucer and place the wet paper circle and a coin on top
Build up more layers of foil, wet paper, and coins. The coin with the wire goes on top. This is your battery.
Attach the end of one wire to the base of the plug of the earphones
Put on the earphones and scrape the end of the wire on the tip of the plug. You should hear crackles in the earphone.
Did you hear anything?
Did you know that when you place aluminum, salt, and copper together. They make electricity.
Then, the electricity goes to the earphones and makes the sound you should have heard.
Extra: Since the invention of the first Voltaic pile in 1800 by Alessandro Volta, the battery has become a common power source for many household and industrial application. According to a 2005 estimate the worldwide battery industry generates $ 48 billion dollars in the United States in sales per year!
Answers to questions: Batteries are used for everything from flashlights, ipods, calculators, TV remotes, and cameras. We use them as a source of power to make thing run, play, and work effectively. The parts of the battery that we need to know are the anode (-), the cathode (+), and the electrons and electrolytes. A home-made bettery is not as powerful as one we can buy at the store.
That's a great one. Look forward to seeing your presentation.
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