Proof of Efficacy

Photos:

The Task: ​For this project my group and I were tasked with the goal of converting one form of
energy into another form of energy. Our group decided on using a lemon battery to create
chemical energy and intern create light energy.

Device and modifications:​ The first prototype of this lemon battery was made of a whole
lemon that we inserted 12 electrodes into ( 6 copper and 6 zinc). This method didn’t give off any
energy that we could tell so we decided to switch out the zinc nodes to ones made out of
magnesium due to its higher reactivity. This worked to improve our project, it putting off 1.45
volts of electricity. After having this success we pushed to put out more volts so that we could
light a fire by short circuiting the lemon battery creating a spark. To create more voltage we cut
the lemon in half and used each half as a cells of the battery. This raised to evoltage of the
battery by double. Based on the last test we decided to add more lemons and cut them into
fourths. When we used 3 lemons cut into fourths creating 12 cells of the battery, it worked the
best we have ever got it to work. It put out nearly 14 volts and was able to light an LED without
fail.

Why it works: ​our lemon battery works through the process of reduction when the copper
accepts the electrons sent through the wire, it is also a conductor. The copper is the positives
ide.
● Proof: We cut open the lemon to find it was a little green inside, this may be evidence of
reduction or the copper is oxidizing due to the water in the lemmon

Another important reaction was oxidation: Citric Acid(C6H8O7) + Magnesium(Mg) ➝

Magnesium Citrate(​C6H6MgO7)+ Hydrogen (H2)

● This reaction releases electrons to travel through the wire to to the copper
● The magnesium is the negative side.

Definitions:

● Anode: the positively charged electrode by which the electrons leave a device.
● Cathode: the negatively charged electrode by which electrons enter an electrical device.
● Electrode: a conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an object, substance, or
region.
○ In our project the electrodes were made out of copper and magnesium
● Electrolyte: a liquid or gel that contains ions and can be decomposed by electrolysis,
e.g., that present in a battery.
○ For a lemon battery the electrolyte is citric acid

Energy source manifest: ​The energy starts a potential chemical energy inside the lemon, it
then changes to chemical energy when the electrodes are inserted into the lemon. The energy
then travels through the wires to the LED changing the chemical energy into light energy.

Potential energy of a lemon battery: 

- E​o​Cell​ = E​o​cathode​ - E​o​anode
- 2.53 V = 0.16 V - 2.37 V
- Our max voltage was 1.8 V per cell, meaning about .73 V were lost

- Energy is likely lost to heat from resistance

Trials:

Trials Configuration (nodes per cell) Voltage output

1 1 lemon (1 cell) 0
1 zinc node
1 copper node

2 1 lemon (1 cell) 1.45

6 magnesium nodes
6 copper nodes

3 1 lemon (1 cell) 1.8

1 magnesium nodes
1 copper nodes

4 1 lemon (2 cells) 3.29

1 magnesium nodes
1 copper nodes

5 1 lemon (4 cells) 5.66

1 magnesium nodes
1 copper nodes

6 3 lemon (12 cells) 13.77

1 magnesium nodes
1 copper nodes

We weren’t able to reach our maximum potential energy that we should have been able to make
out of our battery. If our calculations were correct, then we should have made 30.36 volts with a
configuration of 12 cell but we only made 13.77 volt. The loss in energy was most likely due to
resistance in the wiring, heat, and hydrogen gas released in the lemon.
Molecular Blueprint:

​ est selling points: ​The best selling point of are project is for sure the fact that we were able
B
to get nearly 14 volts out of only 3 lemons. We achieved this in the most efficient way possible
with the materials we used.