In this lab our group attempted to transfer energy by using lemons as batteries along with copper wire and zinc nails as conductors and in the end try to make an LED light up. Throughout this project we had to research how a circuit like this works and what causes the lemon, nails, and copper to behave the way they do. We also had to figure out how a change of energy takes place in our lemon battery and how it works.
KEY TERMS
This project was fun and interesting to do. I learned a lot about energy and the different ways to make it. The people that really showed leadership skills and hard work were Nitin and Olivia. I felt like I wasn't really included, and I made the mistake of letting it happen instead of putting myself into the project. But I did learn a lot and my team was nice.
KEY TERMS
- Chemical energy- energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, like atoms and molecules. This energy is released when a chemical reaction takes place.
- Electrical energy- a form of energy resulting from the electrical attraction or repulsion between charged particles.
- Oxidation reaction- a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer of electrons between two species. In our lemon battery, the zinc anode dissolves into the liquid electrolyte in the lemon, leaving two electrons behind. This can be shown through the chemical equation Zn → Zn2+ + 2e-
- Reduction reaction- any chemical reaction in which the oxidation number of a molecule, atom, or ion changes by gaining or losing an electron; reduction and oxidation usually occur together. This can be shown through the chemical equation 2H+ + 2e- → H2
- Anode- the negatively charged electrode of a device supplying current such as a primary cell. in this case our anode was the zinc.
- Cathode- the positively charged electrode of an electrical device, such as a primary cell, that supplies current. (copper)
- Voltage- an electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts (V). With our lemon battery we reached a voltage of 6.8
This project was fun and interesting to do. I learned a lot about energy and the different ways to make it. The people that really showed leadership skills and hard work were Nitin and Olivia. I felt like I wasn't really included, and I made the mistake of letting it happen instead of putting myself into the project. But I did learn a lot and my team was nice.