Batería De Vinagre (Inglés)

Alternative Energy

ENERGY
MAKE + TAKE

ACTIVITY 3: NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE:
VINEGAR BATTERIES - 1 HOUR

MATERIALS:

Students make their own electrochemical cells using vinegar andcommon household metals.
Using a multimeter, students measure the current flowing through their circuits. In groups,
students connect their cells in series to create a battery and light up an LED.• multimeter(s)
• small disposable cups
(or film canisters)
• vinegar
• copper wire
• galvanized (zinc-coated) nails
• wires with alligator clips
• low current and low voltage LEDsOne way of creating an electric current is by using something called an electrochemical cell.
Electrochemical cells use stored chemical energy to move electrons.
One way to measure the strengthof a battery is to measure its voltage. Voltage is the amount
of potential energy available to move electrons from one part of a circuit to another.
If we put many cells together, we can causeenough electrons to move through the circuit that we
can light up a lamp, turn on the TV or play the stereo. More than one cell together is called a battery.
Eventually, the cells will run out ofchemicals. We need to dispose of commercially-made cells
at a recycling facility or recharge them.

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WhAT TO DO
Students should work inpairs to make electrochemical cells.
In a disposable cup or film canister, place one zinc-coated (galvanized) nail and one strip of
copper wire. These are the electrodes.
Fill the cup with vinegar(this is your electrolyte), so that the electrodes are submerged. Make
sure the nail and copper wires are not touching.
Use wires with alligator clips to connect one end of the multimeter to thenail and the other end
to the copper wire.
Measure the voltage.
Using alligator clips, connect two electrochemical cells in series (the zinc of one cell to the
copper or another cell)....