A battery contains a cathode and an anode. These rest in an electrolyte that both separates them, and allows ions to flow between them. Those three components can be sourced from materials freely available in our homes. Today we illustrate one way to choose the electrolyte, using an ice tray battery as our test bed.
Materials You Need For Your Ice Tray Battery
You will need the following materials for your ice tray test bed:
- A plus / minus two-foot-long piece of bare copper wire.
- An ice cube tray with nominally space for 14 ice cubes.
- 14 non-copper metal screws around one-inch length.
- Adjust the number per the compartments in your ice tray.
- Sufficient saltwater to fill the ice tray three quarters full.
- Similar volumes of bleach, vinegar and lime juice.
- Two electrical lead wires with alligator clips at both ends.
- A multi meter or voltage meter on the correct setting.
OBSERVE THIS VIDEO FIRST USING VINEGAR
NOW FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE WITH SALTWATER
- Wind a one-inch piece of copper wire twice around one of the screws.
- Bend the remaining length into a hook to clip over an ice tray compartment.
- Repeat this process with all but one of the remaining non-copper screws.
- Place one screw into each compartment so the wire bridges to the next one.
- Note that you have one screw left, and one compartment without a bridge.
- Place the spare non-copper metal screw in the empty ice tray comportment.
- Place one end of a short length of copper wire in the adjacent compartment.
- Fill the ice tray with saltwater until this touches all the screws and the loose wire.
Your ice tray battery test bed is complete. All you need is a device to complete the circuit.
How to Conduct the Experiment
- Attach one end of one lead wire to the fourteenth screw.
- Attach one end of the other lead wire to the short length of copper.
- Connect the other ends of the two lead wires to the meter.
- The multi meter or voltage meter should read roughly 9 volts.
Now boost the voltage by replacing the saltwater in the ice tray with your choice of bleach, vinegar or lime juice. Observe the voltage reading again. Trial your ice tray battery with the other solutions to determine which electrolyte produces the best batteries. Consider using thicker wire and / or different screws to extend your experiment.
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