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Step 4How it works
This battery is a zinc-copper battery. Searching with google or wikipedia will give you exact explanation of the electrochemical reactions involved, but here, we'll just see how to realize it.
This battery is made up of 4 mini cells. Each cell will provide about 0,9 volts.
They will be linked in series to achieve at least 3.5v that is necessary for the led to light up.
Each cell si essentially this:
-a 0.8mm section, 1cm long piece of iron wire zinc plated, acting as anode;
-a layer of absorbing paper, with a drop of lemon juice, acting as a salt bridge, wrapped around the iron wire;
-copper wire wrapped around the paper, carefully not to touch the iron directly.
This battery is made up of 4 mini cells. Each cell will provide about 0,9 volts.
They will be linked in series to achieve at least 3.5v that is necessary for the led to light up.
Each cell si essentially this:
-a 0.8mm section, 1cm long piece of iron wire zinc plated, acting as anode;
-a layer of absorbing paper, with a drop of lemon juice, acting as a salt bridge, wrapped around the iron wire;
-copper wire wrapped around the paper, carefully not to touch the iron directly.
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It's quite well-done!
Are the cells rechargeable? Iimagine making a string of these in series, giving them their lemon juice, and encasing them in heat-shrink tubing (to prevent evaporation) then, I would have a custom battery pack as small as I want... wow!
...If the zinc-iron electrose is not rechargeable, maybe I could substitute a carbon rod (ie pencil 'lead'). I'd only get voltage from the copper half-reaction, but it may be electrically reversible...
"Iimagine" is supposed to be "Imagine, and "electrose " is supposed to be "electrodes."
If only I could directly edit my posts...