MAKING A GOOD BATTERY LABSetup and Debrief

Tahoma Jr. High8th Grade ScienceMaple Valley, WA

Setup your LabPro equipment CAREFULLY –the wires are very delicate.

DO NOT EVER TUG ON THEM AT ALL !

You’ll have vinegar in your beaker.You’ll put different metals in the alligator clips.DO NOT GET ANYTHING BUT THE METAL WET

and then rinse clean before putting backYou’ll record voltage (+ or – does not matter)

Here are the metals we will test:

Zn: zinc(grey) (bendable)

Al: aluminum(not bendable)

Fe:iron

Cu:copper x 2

Mg: magnesium(watch this closely in the vinegar)

Ni: nickel(shiny)(not bendable)

DO NOT DUMP OUT THE VINEGAR !!

DEBRIEF STARTS

WITH NEXT SLIDE

two metal combination

Voltage produced(estimate 1 decimal

place and use absolute value)

Cu and Al (Cu = brown Al = narrow thick silver strip)

Cu and Fe (Fe = nail)

Cu and Mg (thin ribbon)

Cu and Zn (soft silver – kind of thick)

Cu and Ni (Ni = nickel)

Cu and Cu

Al and Zn

Al and Ni

Al and Mg

Al and Fe

Zn and Ni

Zn and Fe

Zn and Mg

Fe and Ni

you

r values en

tered h

ere

Zn

+ A

l

Other metal combinations go across here

Mg and Cu

Cu and Cu

Metals that have the biggest DIFFERENCE in

Electrical Potential (ability to move electrons)

made the most volts.

Lemons ! They are very acidic(other citrus fruits would work too but not as well as lemons)

end show

Three things needed to make a battery are:

1. an acid (or a base)

2. a metal

3. a DIFFERENT metal

Zinc