rets nysgjerrigper 2008

Prosjekttittel: Elektrisk sitron

Klasse: 5
Skole: trondheim international school (trondheim, Sr-Trndelag)
Antall deltagere (elever): 1
Dato: 01.05.2008

Side 1

Ansvarlig veileder:
tone nilsen

Deltagere:
Askh Garshol

Side 2

Dette lurer jeg p

Question
Hypothesis
Facts
Materials
Procedure
Conclusion
Interpretation
Acknowledgements
Reference List
Measurements

Side 3

Dette lurer jeg p

Question
Can lemons generate electricity and will more lemons generate more electricity?
Hypothesis
1. Copper and zinc inserted in a lemon will generate electricity.
2. Many lemons connected in series will provide higher voltage than one lemon. Current stays
the same.
3. Many lemons connected in parallel will provide higher current than one lemon. Voltage stays
the same.

Facts
Electrochemical Cell
1. Two electrochemical cell connected creates a flow of electrons.
2. The electrons flow from the negative electrode to the positive electrode through the electrolyte.

3. A lemon with a zinc paperclip and a copper wire inserted into it are two electrochemical cells.
4. The acid in the lemon is the electrolyte.
5. The zinc paperclip is the negative electrode.
6. The copper wire is the positive electrode.
7. The negative electrode is getting lighter as electrons are travelling to the positive electrode.
8. The positive electrode is getting heavier as electrons are received from the negative electrode.

Battery
1. A battery is two or more electrochemical cells connected in series.
2. A battery can be made to work in different ways by using different electrodes and electrolytes.
3. Some batteries are rechargeable and can be used again and again.
4. Most batteries are disposable and cannot be used again.
5. A lemon battery is a disposable battery.

Side 4

6. It is believed that the first battery was made in Iraq over 2200 years ago.
7. This battery is called the Bagdad Battery.
8. An Italian called Alessandro Volta made the first modern liquid battery in 1799.
9. Voltas battery used copper and zinc as electrodes.
10. The lemon battery is a voltaic battery (similar to the battery made by Volta).
11. The batteries became popular in the industry after the improved Daniell Cell was invented in
1836.
12. Dry cell batteries were invented in the end of the 19th century.
13. Dry cell batteries made it easier to make portable batteries.
14. Dry cell batteries are the one we can buy in the shops.
15. Dry cell batteries are now very popular and have created an environmental problem.
16. Every year it is estimated that people and companies buy batteries for 50 billion US dollar.
17. Batteries are made in many different sizes and shapes.
Electricity
1. Electricity is a word used for flow of an electric charge.
2. An electric field is an influence by an electric charge on other charges in the area.
3. The flow of electrons is electric current.
4. Electric potential or voltage is a measure of the force moving the electrons.
5. Electromagnetism is forces between an electric field and an electric charge.
6. Electricity has been studied since antiquity.
7. Scientific advances did not come before four hundred years ago.
8. Engineers managed to take electricity to use two hundred years ago.
9. Electricity is used in electric motors.
10. Michael Faraday invented the electric motor in 1821.
11. Electric motors are used in electric cars, lifts, trains, shaving machines and much more.
12. Electricity is used for heating in panel ovens and floor heating.
13. Electricity is used in communication, like mobile phones, fixed phones, Internet, TV and

Side 5

radio.
14. Electricity was first used for communication in 1837 with the electric telegraph.
15. Electronic components make use of transistors, the most important invention in the 20th
century.
16. Electronic components are used in computers.
17. Mostly electricity is used for light.
18. The light bulb was invented in the 1870s.
19. It was discovered several thousand years ago that it was possible to generate electricity by
rubbing an amber stick with a cats fur.
20. Electricity comes from the Latin word electricus or the Greek word electron, both meaning
amber.
21. Voltage is measured in Volt.
22. Voltage and Volt is called after Alessandro Volta.
23. Current is measured in Ampere.
24. Ampere is called after Andre-Marie Ampere.
25. Ampere discovered the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
26. Georg Ohm mathematically analysed the electric circuit in 1827.
27. Resistance is measured in Ohm.
28. Materials that conduct electricity are called conductors.
29. Materials that do not conduct electricity are called insulators.
30. DC is an abbreviation for Direct Current.
31. AC is an abbreviation for Alternating Current.
32. Batteries are producing DC.
33. We get AC from the plugs in the wall.
34. An electric circuit is an interconnection of electric components.
35. Generators driven by steam from coal, oil or nuclear-fuelled power stations generate
electricity.
36. Electricity can also be generated from renewable sources as hydroelectric or wind power
stations.

Side 6

37. Electricity is also found naturally in the nature, where it is most commonly seen as lightning.
38. Some animals like sharks can detect electric fields.
39. All living creatures have an electric field.
40. Some animals can generate electric voltages to kill or defend themselves.

Materials
Material needed for 10 lemons in series

For this experiment we need the following material to make the electric circuit:
10 lemons
20 copper wires 30 cm long with the isolation removed at the ends
10 zinc paper clips
For this experiment we need the following tools:
Multimeter to measure voltage and current
Wire cutter to cut the copper wire and to remove the isolation
A knife to make two cuts in the lemon 2 cm apart to insert the copper wire in one cut and the
zinc paper clip in the other cut

Side 7

Procedure
Point 9: Attach the two wires on the lemon in point eight to the
multimeter. We measured 0.92 V.

1. Prepare all materials needed.

2. Cut the copper wire into 20 30 cm length wires.
3. Cut off 3 cm insulation at the ends of each wire.
4. Attach a copper wire to each of the 10 zinc paper clips.
5. Roll the lemons to loosen up the pulp inside.
6. Make two small cuts in each lemon, 2 cm apart.
7. Put a zinc paper clip into one of the small cuts in the lemon. Do this with all lemons.
8. Attach a copper wire to the other cut in one lemon.
9. Attach the two wires on the lemon in point eight to the multimeter.
10. Measure the voltage and write it down in the lab journal.
11. Measure the current and write it down in the lab journal.
12. Connect another lemon in series.
13. Measure the voltage and write it down in the lab journal.
14. Measure the current and write it down in the lab journal.
15. Repeat point 12,13 and 14 until all 10 lemons are used.
16. Disconnect all lemons.
17. Attach the two wires on the lemon in point eight to the multimeter.
18. Measure the voltage and write it down in the lab journal.

Side 8

19. Measure the current and write it down in the lab journal.
20. Connect another lemon in parallel.
21. Measure the voltage and write it down in the lab journal.
22. Measure the current and write it down in the lab journal.
23. Repeat point 20, 21 and 22 until all 10 lemons are used

Point 12,13,14 & 15: Two lemons in series. The voltage was measured to 1.86 V.

Side 9

Point 12,13,14 & 15: Ten lemons in series. The voltage was measured to 8.55 V.

Conclusion
This experiment shows that a lemon that hypothesis is correct, when a lemon inserted with a zinc
paper clip and a copper wire generate electricity, just like a normal battery.

Interpretation
We also saw that the voltage increased with 0.86 volts for every lemon connected, while the
current stayed at 0.12 milliampere.
When doing the experiment using parallel circuits the current increased with 0.10 milliamps for
every lemon connected, while the voltage stayed at 0.88 volt.
Side 10

Acknowledgements
1. My father Inge
2. My teacher Mrs. Naylor

Reference List
1. Wikipedia
a. Lemon battery - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_battery
b. Electrochemical cell -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrochemical_cell
c. Battery (electricity) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_%28electricity%29
d. Electric potential - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_potential
e. Electric current - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_current
f. Voltage - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage
g. Electricity - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity
2. Lemon Battery www.hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/lemon_battery.html
3. The Way Things Work
David Macaulay
Dorling Kindersley Limited, London
1988
ISBN 1 4053 0238 0
4. 365 Simple Science Experiments
E. Richard Churchill, Louis V. Loeschnig, Muriel Mandell
Scholastic Inc.
1997
ISBN 81-7655-065-5
Measurements
We followed the procedure and measured the voltage and current. We did this for both lemons in

Side 11

serial and parallel circuits. The result is in the tables and graphs under.
Lemons in Series
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Voltage (V)
0.92
1.86
2.64
3.77
4.43
5.38
6.08
7.16
7.82
8.55
Current (mA)
0.11
0.13
0.11

Side 12

0.11
0.11
0.12
0.12
0.13
0.12
0.12
When the lemons are connected together in series the voltage is increasing with an average of
0.86 volts for every lemon connected. The current stays the same. The average current
measured was just under 0.12 milliampere.
Lemons in Parallel
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Voltage (V)
0.92
0.92
0.84
0.88
0.85

Side 13

0.88
0.89
0.88
0.88
0.83
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
0.88
Current (mA)
0.11
0.23
0.44
0.52
0.61
0.66
0.78
0.83
0.93
1.02
When the lemons are connected together in parallel the current is increasing with an average of

Side 14

0.10 milliampere for every lemon connected. The voltage stays the same. The average voltage
measured was just under 0.88 volt.

Side 15