Citrus Battery
Let’s Experiment with fascinating power source of CITRUS FRUITS…
WHAT DO WE NEED ?
Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes or oranges, Copper nails (2 inches in length,) Zinc nail (2 inches in length), Small coloured light bulb / LED light, Electrical tape / alligator clips, Micro ammeter (to measure the electric current in a circuit)
LET’S GET STARTED..
- Soften the fruit by squeezing it on all sides with your hands carefully without breaking its skin so that the juice inside is flowing.
- Insert the nails into the fruit in a way that the sharp tips of the nails should be in the center of the fruit and not touching one another. Do not pierce the nail through the opposite end of fruit.
- Peel off the insulation around the bulb wires to expose the wire beneath and wrap the exposed wire around the nails.
- Wrap the exposed wire around the zinc nail. Use some electrical tape or clips to keep it attached. 5. And now as you wrap the other end of the wire around the copper nail, you will see the bulb light up!
WHAT DO WE SEE ?
The zinc nail being an active metal, reacts with the acid in the citrus fruit. The positively charged ions are the active ingredient in the fruit. The electrons transfer between the zinc nail and the acid from the fruit. The nails act as poles of the battery where one is positive while the other is negative. Electrons travel from the positive pole to the negative pole through the light bulb, which acts as a conductor. This generates enough electricity to complete the circuit and light the bulb.
-Team ScienceNow
