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