This project is usually taken on by children in the fourth grade and one of the essential needs is magnesium for the battery. There are numerous objects around the house that can be used as the magnesium part of this experiment.
To get magnesium electrodes from around the house you will need to find or purchase a magnesium fire starter. You can get these from camping or sporting stores. They are a small block of magnesium which work well for this kind of experiment.
You can also pick up magnesium electrodes from items you probably already have lying around but it will involve you dismantling them. Magnesium can be found in some car parts and also on parts of aluminum ladders. You can also use sacrificial anodes from water tanks and pipes around the house for this purpose but they are hard to get to and may involve you having to pull items apart to get at them.
The best way to do this is to perhaps replace any anodes that are close to reaching the end of their lifespan and then using the old part for the experiment. Though, it is much easier to just purchase a fire starter from the camp shop.
Aluminum for the sacrificial electrode can be found in a number of places around the house, including tin foil which is used for baking. For the heavens electrode you can use stainless steel which is part of a number of easy to get items. For the electrolyte you should use salt.
The project is a great green project for children to get involved in. It is non toxic and there is no waste product which is great too. As can be seen the biggest issue is getting the magnesium, though as is mentioned the best thing to do is purchase a fire starter in a camp or outdoor sports shop
To get magnesium electrodes from around the house you will need to find or purchase a magnesium fire starter. You can get these from camping or sporting stores. They are a small block of magnesium which work well for this kind of experiment.
You can also pick up magnesium electrodes from items you probably already have lying around but it will involve you dismantling them. Magnesium can be found in some car parts and also on parts of aluminum ladders. You can also use sacrificial anodes from water tanks and pipes around the house for this purpose but they are hard to get to and may involve you having to pull items apart to get at them.
The best way to do this is to perhaps replace any anodes that are close to reaching the end of their lifespan and then using the old part for the experiment. Though, it is much easier to just purchase a fire starter from the camp shop.
Aluminum for the sacrificial electrode can be found in a number of places around the house, including tin foil which is used for baking. For the heavens electrode you can use stainless steel which is part of a number of easy to get items. For the electrolyte you should use salt.
The project is a great green project for children to get involved in. It is non toxic and there is no waste product which is great too. As can be seen the biggest issue is getting the magnesium, though as is mentioned the best thing to do is purchase a fire starter in a camp or outdoor sports shop
