Centro Educativo Bilinge Sonny

Science Fair

Topic: Environment Battery

Group 3-1

Students: Carlos Quesada E. Sebastin Ramrez C. Andrs Oreamuno J.

Teacher: Marcela Ramrez

2011

ENVIRONMENT BATTERY

Summary In our research project will try to answer the question "Is it possible to get electricity from alternative sources?. The group used literature from book and the internet. The group prepared a demonstration. A conclusion for this project is we can use fruits or vegetables to make electrical energy.

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Table of contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4 Antecedents ........................................................................................................... 4 Objectives .............................................................................................................. 5 General Objective ............................................................................................... 5 Specific Objectives............................................................................................... 5 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 5 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 7 A. Type of data: ................................................................................................ 7 B. Description of the selected methods and tecnhiques of investigation. ......... 7 C. Analysis and interpretation of data ............................................................. 7 Materials List .................................................................................................... 8 Procedure ........................................................................................................ 8 Whats going on? ................................................................................................ 9 D. Chronogram of activities. ............................................................................. 9 Discussion and Analysis ........................................................................................ 12 Conclusions and recommendations ...................................................................... 12 Bibliography ........................................................................................................ 12

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Acknowledgements We thank our parents, our classmates, and the teacher for helping us doing this science fair project.

Introduction This part is the introduction for the science fair project. The topic of the project is environment battery. The group picked the topic because we like the energy. This topic is important because this experiment will can be used to make energy in the future.

Antecedents This section consists on the antecedents for science fair projects. The group decided to work on the topic because we want to make electricity with alternative sources. Scientific investigation is important because to make electricity is needed electrolytes and electrodes. We also want to learn how acids can be used to make electricity. The questions for this work are: y How to prepare an experiment to produce energy using alternative sources? y What kinds of metals could we use as electrodes? y What fruits can be using to produce energy?

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Objectives General Objective y To analyze how to get energy of alternative sources. Specific Objectives 1. To prepare an experiment to produce electricity using alternatives sources. 2. To examine those kinds of metals could we use as electrodes. 3. To investigate what fruits or vegetables can be electricity.

Theoretical Framework Everything on earth stores and uses energy to stay alive. The ultimate source of this energy is the sun. By what process does life collect and store its energy? In our experiment we try demonstrate how the process of energy storage (and use) in living things is described by electrochemistry. All batteries have a "+" and "-" terminal. Electric current is a flow of atomic particles called electrons. Certain materials, called conductors, allow electrons to flow through them. Most metals (copper, iron) are good conductors of electricity. Electrons will flow from the "-" electrode of a battery, through a conductor, towards the "+" electrode of a battery.
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A battery is made if a zinc strip and a copper strip is placed in an acid. The strips serve as the electrodes and the acid serves as the electrolyte. Electrodes are the metal parts of the battery where electric current enters or leaves the battery and an electrolyte is a solution that can conduct electricity. At the zinc strip, the acid dissolves the zinc freeing electrons. At the copper strip, the acid uses those electrons to form hydrogen gas. Because the zinc strip frees electrons and the copper strip uses electrons, if you put a wire between the two strips, then electrons will flow from the zinc to the copper hence producing electrical current. The electrical energy derived from the chemical energy of the battery is measured through the potential difference between the electrodes called the voltage. Voltage is measured in terms of volts, a unit named in honor of the inventor of electrochemical cell, Alessandro Volta. Our battery like most batteries consists of two different metals suspended in an acidic solution. We use fruits and vegetables, because these have acids. The copper and zinc plates are the two metals and the acid inside the lemon or potato acts as the acidic solution. This is a single cell of a battery. The zinc and copper plates act like electrodes and the acid of potato or lemon serves as the electrolyte.

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In summary, when the metals are immersed into the electrolyte a chemical reaction takes place. It generates a flow of the electrons that forms a small electrical current.

Methodology This part is the methodology of the project. A. Type of data: The data that is useful for this topic was related to the theorical framework and the instructions for demostration. This data was collected through bibliographic research on obooks, the internet. B. Description of the selected methods and tecnhiques of investigation. In case of demostration is done bassed partially on bibliographic resourses but also bassed on the procedure and results of the demostration. C. Analysis and interpretation of data In this case of demostration, analysis and interpretation of data was done based on the instructions of the project.

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Materials List

Copper plates

Zinc plates

1 or 2 lemons or potatoes

Connection wires

LCD watch, light LED or sound chip

Procedure
1. Roll the lemon or potato on a table so that the juice can flow easily. 2. Make two small incisions on each lemon or potato about 2 cm apart.

3. Insert the zinc plate and the copper plate in the lemon or potato. 4. Use the wires to connect the leads of the LED lamp, sound chip or LCD watch to the copper and the zinc plates.
*THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW*

There are universal standards for positive and negative terminals. The positive terminal is always the red coloured wire, whereas the negative terminal is always black. Always connect the negative terminal to a zinc plate (or a more reactive metal) and the positive terminal to the copper plate (or a less reactive metal).
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Whats going on? You should see your LED lamp light up, or hear a buzz from your sound chip. Amazingly, the lemons or potatoes are actually providing power to the circuit! The zinc and copper plates are acting as electrodes and the juice is the electrolyte. Charge flows from one metal through the juice to the other metal (it wouldnt work if both were the same metal), creating a voltage. You can try different fruits and vegetables see if you can find the most powerful food! If you have one, you can test the voltage using a multimeter. You will find your fruit battery has about the same voltage as that used in a torch! However, you wont be able to use it to light up a light bulb because the current it produces is too low; this is because there is a lot of resistance inside the lemons or potatoes. Batteries have much lower resistance, so produce more current because Current = Voltage/Resistance. D. Chronogram of activities. Chronogram of activities is detailed on the logbook. In the logbook include the activities to be done during the time investigation. It include the data, the time and the action that the group did in order to prepare this project.

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LogBook Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action: April, 8th 8:30 am We decided a topic for science fair. Electrical Energy. April, 29th 7:00 am We decided the type of project. May, 23th 8:30 am We composed the general and specific objectives. May, 24th 10:00 am We read and inderlined the information we brought about the topic to make the teoretical framework. Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action: May, 27th 7:00 am We composed the general and specific objectives. Jun, 7st 7:00 am We wrote the title and the acknowledge for the project.

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Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action: Day: Time: Action:

June 8th 8:30 am We wrote the introduction and the summary. June 10th 7:00 am We worked in the antecedents. June 13th 7:00 am We worked on the methodology. June 14th 10:00 am We worked on the methodology.

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Discussion and Analysis We can use zinc and copper like electrodes because these metals allow that an electrical current enters or leaves. We could use plates, clips, coins, screw, nails, forks, etc. too.

Fruits and vegetables usually contain mild acids; they can be used as the electrolyte of a battery. For instance, potatoes contain mild phosphoric acid and lemons contain citric acid. Conclusions and recommendations We can use alternative sources to produce energy by using the electrodes and electrolytes from fruits or vegetables that have acids. Bibliography http://www.mercury.co.nz/education/education_projects_lemon.asp, Education. The power of the lemon. http://www-openday.ch.cam.ac.uk/pdfs/fruit_battery.pdf, The Electrifying Fruitpowered Battery. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/lemon.html, Lemon power. What to do a lemon besides making lemonade! http://www.eweek.org/site/DiscoverE/activities/lemon.shtml, The Lemon Battery Challenge.

Energy

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