Fruit Batteries

Experiment No. 10

Fruit Batteries

Experiment: To make a working battery from some fruit.

Materials:

You will need:

4 fresh lemons (though in the end, we used 8!)
A 5 cent coin for each lemon
A galvanised nail for each lemon (roofing nails will do)
Two lengths of wire per lemon
One L.E.D.

Method:

1) Roll and squeeze the lemons until they are 'squishy'. It is important that the juice is quite free, as it acts as our electrolyte.

2) Cut two slots in each lemon and put one 5 cent coin and one nail in each.

3) Connect a piece of wire to each and then connect the lemons together - 5c/nail; 5c/nail, etc

4) Then connect a wire to the coin and to the plus terminal of the LED. Connect a wire from the nail to the minus terminal of the LED.

Result: With these 'batteries' you will produce a faint glow from the LED.

Conclusion: The batteries consist of two metals - copper and zinc (the galvanised nails). An electrolyte (the lemon juice) connects the two together and the LED lights up. One lemon produces about 1 volt.

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9. (The Nervous System) Reflexes| 10. Fruit Batteries