Enviro Battery (Yina Yang)

Author

Yina Yang, Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School

Principles

  • Electron flow

  • Electrical current

Standards

  • HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

  • HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

Materials needed

  • Enviro Battery Kit (specialty desired bottle screw caps, connection wires, protective cover, transparent adhesive tapes, paper cup, plastic cups, light tower with LED lamp, sound chip, zinc plates, copper plates, LCD watch moment)

  • Lime

  • Forks

  • Potatoes

Procedure

Potato Powered Clock

  1. Connect the black wire from the LCD watch (negative) to one of the zinc plates by carefully threading the wire's exposed metallic end through the hole in the plate. Gently twist the wire to secure it to the plate.

  2. Connect the red wire from the watch (positive) to a piece of copper plate.

  3. Assemble a "connection pair" by connecting the other pair of copper and zinc plates with a connection wire.

  4. Now that all of the components are connected, insert the copper and zinc plates into the potatoes as shown in the diagram.

Freaky Fork

  1. Connect one end of the red wire to the fork. Use adhesive tape to secure the connection.

  2. Connect the black wire to the zinc plate.

  3. Now get another fork and inc plate, connect them with a wire to make a "connection pair"

  4. To activate the clock, insert all metals into the lemon.

Explanation

There are 2 types of electrical currents: direct current and alternating current. In this particular demonstration, the featured electrical current is direct current. The image to the right shows how an electrical current is generated by the movement of electrons. Electrons are released when immersed in some form of electrolyte. When electrons are released, electrons will join the next atom, which causes the atom to release one of its electron. The released electron will join the next atom and the cycle continues passing the electron creating an electrical current. In this demonstration, two pairs of connected zinc and copper plates are inserted into some kind of aqueous medium such as potatoes and lime to serve as the battery to power the small watch. The zinc plate serves as the negative electrode and the copper serves as the positive electrode. When both zinc and copper are immersed into the electrolyte, the acid in the electrolyte breaks down the atomic structure of the copper and zinc releasing individual electrons. Because zinc is more reactive compared to copper, zinc will generate electron faster than copper. The excess electrons from the zinc plate flow to the copper plate, which has less electron. This flow of electron from a reactive metal to less reactive metal generates a current that powers the small watch.

In the case of the "freaky fork," the fork serves as the positive electrode since most utensils are plated with a metal that is less reactive than zinc. Once again, electrons flow from the more reactive zinc to the less reactive fork.

Questions

Everyday examples of the principles illustrated

  1. Batteries are used in everyday life from cell phones to cars. In a regular AA battery, there two ends: positive and negative ends. Electrons flow from the negative end to the positive end of the battery generating the electrical current to power any electrical device.

Photos

Movies