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Materials:

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Pennies
Zinc plated washers My Penny
 Small cardboard squares
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
Lemon juice
Tin foil
Flashlight
 Small light bulb

Problem: I don’t have any batteries. How can I make a light bulb glow using only the above materials?

Hypothesis:

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Procedure:

1. Soak your cardboard squares in a small amount of lemon juice.

2. Create a battery cell. You will do this by placing a lemon juice-soaked cardboard square (pat dry first) on top of
a zinc washer and then placing a penny on top. A cell is something that will hold a small electrical charge. Place
your cell on a small piece of tin foil.
3. See if your cell provides enough power to light your bulb. Create a closed circuit by touching a wire to the
bottom of your cell (the washer) and the top of your cell (the penny.)
4. If your circuit is closed and your cell has enough power, your light will glow.
5. If your light doesn’t glow, check your circuit. If you are sure it’s closed, you may just need more power. Record
your data.
6. Add another cell by placing a washer, a soaked cardboard square, and a penny to your stack.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 until you have enough power to light your bulb.

Data:

Number of Cells What happened?

Conclusion:

1. Were you able to get your light bulb to glow? ___________

2. How many cells did it take to light your bulb? _________
3. What do you think would happen if you added more cells?

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4. What might happen if you used small pieces of rubber in your cell instead of the lemon juice-soaked cardboard?
Explain your thinking.

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5. Draw your finished circuit. Make sure you draw your diagram accurately.

Troubleshooting: What if it doesn’t work?

1. Add another cell.

2. Switch the wires around.
3. Make sure your stacks are straight.
4. Make sure your cardboard isn’t bent over into another cell.
5. Make sure your circuit is closed.
6. Check that your cells are ordered correctly.
1 cell
Why does this work:

The zinc washer and the copper penny are made of two different metals. Both metals are good conductors and the
lemon juice-soaked cardboard works as an electrolyte. The electrolyte forces the electrons to flow through the
conductors. It creates a side with a positive charge and a negative charge, just like a regular battery. With just one cell,
not enough electrical power is produced to light the bulb. As you stack cells upon each other, you increase the amount
of electrical power. Eventually you will have enough to light the bulb!