Download Battery Lab

Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
Battery Lab
Teacher’s Instructions
Brief Description of Activity:
The lesson uses an activity to help students learn about how batteries function in relation to ions,
electrolytes, voltage, and current. The lesson additionally helps students apply the knowledge of
batteries that they accumulated in class to the real world. These goals are achieved by the
students watching a demonstration of a lemon battery being made, constructing a penny battery
individually, and discussing how and where in their daily lives batteries help.
Learning Goals:
 Students will test
o the voltage of coin batteries using a voltmeter to see how to a battery can be
assembled
 Students will observe
o the coin battery to see how a battery can be assembled using copper pennies and
aluminum foil
o the transfer of electrons by visually seeing the work of the battery manifested by
the lighting of a LED light
 Students will understand
o the way a battery functions
o batteries’ applications to the real world
Recommended Grades: K-8th
Estimated Time Required:
a) Prep Time: 10 mins.
b) Class Time: 40-50 mins.
Key Concepts and Definitions of Terms:
Battery: a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy is converted into
electricity and used as a source of power in an electrochemical reaction.
Electricity: the flow of electrons through a conductive path like a wire. This path is called a
circuit.
Voltage: an electromotive force, a force that tends to produce an electrical current, or potential
difference expressed in volts. The greater the voltage, the greater the flow of electrical current,
the quantity of charge carriers that pass a fixed point per unit of time.
Current: a flow of electric charge. In electric circuits this charge is often carried by moving
electrons in a wire.
Electrolyte: a chemical compound that ionizes when dissolved or molten to produce an
electrically conductive medium. This solution can be salt water, vinegar, fruit juice, ect.
Anion: a negatively charged ion.
Cation: a positively charged ion.
Ion: an atom or a molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total
number of protons, giving the atom or molecule a net positive or negative electrical charge.
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
What Happens and Why:
The electrochemical reaction was discovered by Count Alessandro Volta in 1799 when he
created a simple battery of metal plates and brine-soaked paper. This is essentially the same
basic setup as what the students will be creating in their experiment.
Batteries have three parts, an anode (-), a cathode (+), and the electrolyte . The cathode and
anode are wired together and are therefore hooked up in an electrical circuit. The chemical
reactions in the battery causes a buildup of electrons at the anode. This results in an electrical
difference between the anode and the cathode. The electrons wants to rearrange themselves to
get rid of this difference.
In a battery, the only place for the electrons to go is to the cathode. But, the electrolyte keeps the
electrons from going straight from the anode to the cathode within the battery. The electrons go
through the wire, lighting the light bulb along the way, caused by electrical potential. Batteries
convert the chemical energy of the two metals, electrodes, interacting with the electrolyte into
electrical energy. An electric current, movement of electrons from one metal to the other, is
created when the wire connects both metal surfaces
Materials Needed: (for 20 students)
1. 100 copper pennies (must be made before 1982)
2. Aluminum foil
3. Construction Paper
4. 2 alligator clips and leads
5. 20 LED lights
6. White vinegar
7. Salt
8. 20 writing utensils
9. Approx. 20 Scissors
10. Approx. 3 lemons
11. 3 Copper stakes
12. 3 Galvanized zinc nails
13. Safety gloves
Estimated Cost: $32
Safety Information:
Teachers and students should all wear eye protection.
Nothing involved in the experiment is dangerous. However, if a student has cuts on their hands
the vinegar can mildly sting and be uncomfortable. Offer students gloves if they do not want to
put their hands in the vinegar.
General Outline of Procedures:
1. Begin by asking the students what they know about batteries and electricity.
2. Explain to the students that they will be viewing the construction of a lemon battery and
they will be individually making penny batteries.
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
3. In front of the class place a copper stake and a galvanized nail in a lemon so that there is
more than two inches of space between them.
4. Touch the positive clip of the voltmeter to the copper stake and the negative clip to the
galvanized nail.
5. Read the voltage of the lemon using the voltmeter.
6. Have the students record the voltage on their “Predictions and Observations” worksheet.
7. Explain the setup of the lemon battery and how the voltage measures the battery’s
potential energy.
8. Have the students mark what number of pennies they think will light the LED light on
their “Predictions and Observations” worksheet.
9. Clean pennies using a solution of vinegar and salt.
10. Distribute the pennies, aluminum, paper, scissors, LED lights and writing utensils to the
students.
11. Instruct the students to outline the pennies on the paper and cut out 4 circles. (Note:
Impress upon the students that they should try their best to outline and cut out the circles
carefully so that their battery works.)
12. Instruct the students to sock the paper in the vinegar.
13. Instruct the students to outline the pennies on the aluminum foil and cut out 4 circles.
14. Instruct the students to ayer a penny, cardboard, aluminum, and another penny.
15. Measure and record the voltage using a voltmeter.
16. Check to see if the LED light works by placing the long leg of the LED (the positive
wire) to the top of the battery and the short leg (the negative wire) on the bottom of the
battery.
17. Have the students record the voltage on their “Predictions and Observations” worksheet.
18. Continue adding a layer of paper, aluminum, and a penny,measuring and recording the
voltage, and checking to see if the LED light works until there are 6 pennies in the
battery.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Explain in more detail how the battery works.
Discuss findings. (Note: the LED light should work at 5 pennies.)
Answer discussion questions
Clean-up.
Variations:
1. If materials are available and there is a sufficient amount of time, each student can build a
lemon battery and measure the voltage. They can even add more series to their batteries
by connecting them with alligator clips and leads.
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
2. In order to suit different grade levels, altering the extent and depth of the explanations
will be necessary.
Special Notes:
To ensure that the battery works properly make sure that the paper and aluminum circles are not
overlapping and are cut in neat circles. This may be difficult for younger students who have not
developed the dexterity to operate scissors precisely. Therefore, bring extra circles of pre cut
aluminum and paper to use incase a student’s battery is not working.
If a student’s battery still is not working, explain that with simple batteries, like the ones we are
making, sometimes the mechanisms just will not work. Explain that this is why scientists must
be patient and persistent.
The electrolyte for the battery can either be salt water or vinegar but the pennies must be cleaned
prior to constructing the battery in a salt water-vinegar solution.
A voltmeter can be purchased at the link below. It is $22.17. However, if this price is too high,
the experiment can be performed without the voltmeter and simply include a discussion and
explanation of
voltage. https://jet.com/product/detail/42c67a78acbb4ed8952893959ebda832?jcmp=pla:ggl:hard
ware_a3:tools_measuring_tools_sensors_electrical_testing_tools_a3_other:na:na:na:na:na:2&co
de=PLA15&k_clickid=41d481ba-2ee4-45cf-9372-4c8e84f9e256&abkId=403183294&gclid=CJDTgtv5w8oCFRCGaQodaI0KSg
References:
Brian, Marshall, Charles W. Bryant, and Clint Pumphrey. "Introduction to How Batteries Work."
How Stuff Works Tech. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/battery.htm>.
Palermo, Elizabeth. How Do Batteries Work? 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
<http://www.livescience.com/50657-how-batteries-work.html>.
"How Do Batteries Work?" Power System. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
<http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/2-how-do-batterieswork.html>.
Picture Sources:
http://9circuits.com/blog/2011/09/19/electronics-101-basic-circuit-design/
http://gnowfglins.com/2013/07/09/rethinking-aluminum-foil/
https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/2008/07/rare_wheat_pennies.php
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Turn-Spare-Pocket-Change-into-DIY-Batteries/
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/Exploratorium/exploratorium-chemistry/pennybattery/v/build-your-own-penny-battery-materials-steps
http://cointrackers.com/coins/13539/1925-wheat-penny/
http://www.planetchristmas.com/leds-2/
http://www.clipartof.com/portfolio/toons4biz/batteries
https://getfactsblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/16/elecricity-fun-facts/
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/2-how-do-batteries-work.html
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
Student Instructions
1. Collect materials.
2.
3.
4.
Outline the pennies on the cardboard and cut out 4 circles.
Outline the pennies on the aluminum foil and cut out 4 circles.
Layer a penny, cardboard, aluminum, and another penny.
5.
Touch the positive end of the LED light (longer leg) to the top of the
battery and the negative end of the LED light (shorter end) to the bottom of the
battery.
6.
Observe LED light and record observations on Predictions and Observations
Worksheet.
7.
Layer cardboard, aluminum and another penny. (You should now have 3
pennies in your battery.
8.
Observe LED light and record observations.
9.
Repeat steps 7-8 until you have a battery that consists of 5 pennies.
10. Discuss findings.
11. Answer discussion questions.
12. Clean-up.
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
Predictions and Observations
What is the voltage for the lemon battery?___________
2
3
4
5
6
Pennies Pennies Pennies Pennies Pennies
Mark the number of
pennies where you think
the LED light will shine
Measure the voltage of
battery with different
numbers of pennies
At what number of pennies did the LED light shine?
What is the voltage for 5 pennies? ____________
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
BATTERIES
1. What uses do you have for batteries in your life?
2. What is voltage?
3. When we use a battery, _________ energy is changed
into _________ energy.
4. How does a battery work? (Draw a picture if this helps)
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Georganna Benedetto
Battery Lab
27 Jan. 2016
Picture to Aid in Explanation of Battery
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