Lemons contain a lot of electrolytes, this acid helps brake down the atomic structure of the copper and seel that you would place in the lemon if doing this experiment. Once the copper and steel has broken down, this causes electrons to be released. The paper clip and copper then become electrodes. Electrodes allow the electrons to flow freely through them. These free flowing electrons usually flow from negative to positive. In this experiment the copper is the possitive and the paper clip is the negative. The movement of these electrons are measured in voltage. The faster the electrons travel the more energy they will produce. One lemon does not have enough electrolytes to light up a lightbulb. If you get a small multimeter you are able to get a voltage rating in the tenths place. In order to make a lemon power a lightbulb, you would have to have about four lemons and a small lightbuld. This many lemons connected together would cause a high enough voltage rating that the light bulb would light up.
It works through a chemical reaction between the acid in the lemon juice and the two electrodes ( two examples are magnesium and copper) This reaction causes electrons to flow through the circuit. However not much power is produced. Other citric fruits such as Oranges, limes and grapefruits work just as well.
There are 2 different metals that you insert into the lemon battery, when they are dipped into the salt or acid liquid, electricity appears between them. With this lemon battery, the lemon is called the electrolyte, and the metals are called the electrode. The difference between the metals is important. Depending on how different they are you get a different voltage (which is an electrical force or pressure) between them. The bigger a difference between the 2 electrodes, the higher the voltage. Did you ever chew a piece of tinfoil? If you have fillings, it hurts! That's because the tinfoil is the electrode, and so is the filling becasue the filling is another kind of metal. Your saliva is the electrolyte! So what you are feeling is an electric shock! Same thing if you try biting a penny, because the copper is a metal. So here on this fruit______, we have a copper penny and a nail (or nickel), those are the electrodes, the fruit______ is the electrolyte. That is why the lemon battery works!
A lemon battery is made up of two metallic electrodes comprising of two different metals. Lemon battery is just a small experiment which shows how batteries work. Although the lemon battery is not strong enough to make a light bulb work, however it is strong enough to power up a LED (Light Emitting Diode).
The lemon battery is also a very common experiment which is projected in many science textbooks around the world.
To make a lemon battery you need two different metallic objects, most commonly used objects are a Galvanized Nail, a Copper Coin and a juicy lemon. Although potatoes and apples can be used, but lemon is preferred as it has more acidic value.
The lemon used in the experiment should be disposed of immediately as it becomes poisonous because of the dissolved copper salts.
To make a citrus fruit battery you will need your fruit a copper nail, wire or screw about 2" or 5 cm long galvanised or zinc screw, wire or nail about 2" long or 5 cm long a holiday lamp with about 2" or 5cm lead - enough to connect to the wires.
Roll the fruit on the table to soften it up and make as much juice inside as possible. (or squeeze it with your hands)
Insert the two nails so they are about 2" or 5 cm apart without puncturing the other side!
Remove about an inch of the insulation from the leads so you can wrap one end around one nail and the other on the next nail.
When you connect the second nail the light will turn on.
A lemon power battery works like a battery. The penny is the positive and the nail is the negivtive. A lemon power battery lights up a L.E.D light bulb.
Its a lemon made into a battery by putting a galvanized nail in lemon and putting a copper penny straight across from it an inch away.Get a multimeter, get the two wires connected to the multimeter put one on the copper penny, and one on the galvanized nail, to check it.And you have a lemon battery!!!
