St. Mary’s Academy of Sto.

Niño
Sto. Niño, Meycauayan City, Bulacan
PAASCU Accredited
Level II

Fruits Rich in Citric Acid

as a Conductor of Energy

DATARIO, Denisse Ashley T.

DIALINO, Mikaela Justin M.
RABAGO, Airiz
SANTIAGO, Kaitlin Joi C.

Chapter I
 A. Introduction and Its Background

In today's society, it is needed for people to look for any substitute

sources of energy as the non-renewable ones will be fully consumed by humans if

they keep on using it. As of now, there are many alternative sources such as

sunlight, geothermal energy, and wind. However, solar panels can be quite

expensive and the weather is unpredictable so the researchers introduce a source

that is very accesible and doesn't require any sunlight or weather to light up any

apparatus. As the earth evolves, renewable sources of energy are very reliable for

people in the long run for its availability continuosly. This research is conducted to

produce an alternative source of energy that is very accesible and can work at all

situations. It is created using a citric fruit which is attainable and within reach of all

people. Citric acid does not produce electricity by itself. Rather, this weak acid turns

into an electrolyte (an electrically conductive substance) when it's dissolved in fluid.

The charged ions of the electrolyte allow electricity to travel through the fluid. Acids

are electrolytes because they break into negatively charged anions and positively

charged cations when they're placed in solution. The electrolytic solution then

conducts electricity when the anions migrate toward a positive terminal, made of a

positively charged metal, that's placed in the solution and the cations migrate toward

a negative terminal, made of a negatively charged metal. When they reach the

terminals, the anions take electrons from the positive metal and the cations lose

electrons to the negative metal. This electron exchange produces the electrical

charge. The terminals must be made of two different types of metal, such as steel

and copper, for the reaction to occur.

B. Statement of the Problem
 The people of every country are running out of energy sources as most of

them are extracted from non-renewable resources. In line with this, the researchers aim

to produce a feasible source of alternative energy from fruits.

1. Why does the people of every country need to have another source of electricity?

The effectivity and longevity of the citric acid is important for the researchers to

know.

2. To what extent can this battery be used?

One of the priorities of the researchers is to find out how the battery can be of

help to the environment.

3. How can this battery be beneficial to the environment?

C. Formulation of Hypothesis
 With the help of the data gathered from other studies, the researchers came up

with the following answers and intellectual guesses that satisfy the questions mentioned

earlier.

● It is important for the people of every country to find renewable resources as a

source of energy for the security of having electricity in the coming years.

● The extent of the battery will depend on the amount of volt a single fruit can hold

to identify how much are needed to power one electrical apparatus.

● The products used are eco-friendly since fruits decompose after disposal, making

it beneficial to the environment as it will not contribute to the pollution that people

are suffering in the present.

D. Significance of the Study

 The earth is powered up by the electricity that comes from fossils, coals, oils

and etc. However, these fossils are non-renewable and as time goes by, they are

slowly dissipating and we might be completely out of them if people don’t find any

substitutes for it as these fossils take millions of years to create but a hundred of

years only to spend. Energy and electricity are one of the main factors that keeps

everyone alive and connected, so abusing the main sources of it will put every

people in a risk of losing those resources in the long run. This research will be of

benefit to the environment, to the community and for future researchers. This

research will help the environment save the main sources from disappearing and

also help to lessen the enviromental pollution as it comes from biodegradable

materials. It will also be good for the community because the materials are very

accesible and can be purchased from the local market or be grown in the

backyard. They can also use these batteries to supply some small light

appratuses in case of any power outrage. At last, it will be beneficial for future

researchers in researching any substitute source of energy, this can be a good

suggestion for it is also attainable and within reach.

E. Scope and Delimitations

 The materials used in creating this product are citric fruits and

fruits rich in zinc so it will be advantageous for the people considering that these

ingredients are all within reach. The success of this study can bring great

contribution for future purposes in researching for any possible substitutes of

alternative energy resources. The resulting output may also be a great back - up

as an alternatie battery in terms of energy. The materials are also biodegradable,

so the people won't distress themselves for dirtying their surroundings. However,

the batteries are only functional to a limited number of apparatuses. The product

cannot supply bigger apparatuses since the citric acid contained in those fruits

are insufficient for apparatuses that requires a lot of electrical potential to

perform. The quantity of fruits has to be increased in order for them to power up

said apparatuses which is almost unlikely to work in most cases. It also requires

a lot of work and fruits to power up a small apparatus so the people may prefer

using a regular battery instead of going through a time consuming process just to

produce an energy. Nevertheless, the creation of this product can bring help for

we need to moderate our use of energy resources to save them from dissipating.

F. Definition of Terms
Citric acid - an acid that occurs naturally in the juices of oranges, lemons, limes,

etc., and that can also be made from sugar

Conductor - a material that permits the flow of energy.

Copper - a chemical element used for making wires or electrical conductors

Electrode - copper and zinc; a conductor used to establish electrical contact with

a nonmetallic part of a circuit

Electrolyte - the juice inside the citrus fruit; a liquid (such as the liquid in the

battery) through which electricity can pass

Electrons - an extremely small piece of matter with a negative electrical charge.

Fossil or fossil fuel - a fuel formed in the earth from animal or plant remains.

Ions - an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain

of one or more electrons; cation (positive ion) anion (negative ion)

Pollution - it is the environmental contamination caused by manmade waste.

Zinc - an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to

others, and available as a dietary supplement.

Chapter II

A. Review of Related Literature

 An ionic conductor contains positive and negative charges — otherwise known as

charged ions — that move freely when they come into contact with a voltage. For example,

when table salt is dissolved in water, the sodium and chloride — which have opposite charges,

as Na+ and Cl- — create an ionic solution, Hickner said. These ionic solutions are called

electrolytes and can be found in every living thing. Because of this, technically, any fruit or

vegetable could become an ionic conductor, but some are better at it than others. This is also

why salt water or unfiltered tap water are better ionic conductors than filtered fresh water. The

best food battery is any fruit or vegetable that has high levels of superconductive ions, such as

potassium or sodium, and the proper internal structure to create a working current. Potatoes,

which have homogenous structures, and pickles, which have high levels of sodium and acidity,

are good examples of such foods. For an extra electrical "oomph," you can soak your potato in

salt water before setting up the potato battery experiment, Hickner said. In contrast, tomatoes

have unorganized, messy insides and often leak, and even an orange — which has high levels

of potassium— won't work well, because the flesh of the fruit is divided into internal

compartments, and these create barriers that block the current, Paul Takhistov, an associate

professor of food engineering at Rutgers University in New Jersey, told Live Science.

Some fruits and vegetables may be chock-full of superconductive ions, but. you'll need

a few more materials to turn these foods into batteries. The voltage from the battery comes

from electrodes made of two different metals, such as copper and zinc, Hickner said. You can

easily make a potato or pickle battery using a copper penny and a galvanized nail (which is

usually made of iron coated with zinc). "The fruit or vegetable can't conduct on its own. It

needs something to drive the ions," Takhistov said. "When you insert two different metals and
connect them with wire, you create an electrical circuit. Then, when this material is brought in

contact with the electrolytes, the battery reaction starts to generate the voltage. Because of the

difference in electrical potential energy between the two metals, the positive and negative ions

will begin to move freely." But could a potato battery power, for example, a phone? Probably

not. A potato battery can produce only about 1.2 volts of energy. Takhistov said you would

need to link many potato batteries in parallel to create enough of a current to charge a device

like a phone or tablet. "At that point," Takhistov said, "it's probably just easier to use your

phone charger."

reference source:

https://www.livescience.com/amp/62570-potato-battery-conduct-electricity.html

B. Related Studies

Electric current is the flow of electrons of an electrical charge and is measured

using an ammeter. Voltage is the force that pushes the electrons through a circuit and is

measured in volts. When two dissimilar metals are placed in a common conducting solution,
electricity will be produced. This is the basis of the electrochemical or wet cell. (Hulme,1970).

In 1791, Luigi Galvani discovered electrical activity in the nerves of the frogs that he was

dissecting. He thought that electricity was of animal origin and could be found only in living

tissues. A few years later, in 1800 Alesssandro Volta discovered that electricity could be

produced through organic means. In fact, by using small sheet of copper, zinc and cloth

spacers soaked in an acid solution, he built the first apparatus capable of producing electricity.

(Gollner and Adam, 2010). There are numerous sets of instructions for making fruit batteries

and for obtaining components such as Light Emitting Diode (LED), electrical wires

(multimeter), zinc coated (galvanized) nails and screws. After the cell is assembled, a

multimeter can be used to measure the voltage or the electrical current from the voltaic cell.

(Heiser,2003).Zinc and copper electrode are reasonably safe and easy to obtain. Other metals

such as lead, iron, magnesium can be studied as well; they yield different voltages than the

copper or zinc pair. But a magnesium electrode for the zinc electrode makes a cell with a large

voltage (1.5 – 1.6v), and single magnesium or copper cell will power some devices (Naidu and

Kamakshiah, 1995). In the research, fruit provides both the electrolyte and a simple way to

support the electrodes. The acid involved in citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grape fruits, e.t.c.) is

citric acid. The acidity which is measured by the pH varies substantially (Watson and Preedy,

2010). In this research, Light Emitting Diode (LED) is used to indicate if the fruit cell is

generating an electric current. A LED is a semiconductor device which converts electricity into

light. An electric current can flow only in one direction through LEDs which means that they

have a positive and a negative terminal (also referred as the anode and cathode). The cathode

should be connected to the negative zinc metal strip and the anode to the positive copper strip

(Feldkamp and Susan, 2002).

reference source:

https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/Conversion-of-Fruit-to-Battery.pdf

C. Synthesis

. The history of producing electricity goes a long way back to 1791, when Luigi

Galvani first discovered the electrical activity from the nerves of the frogs that he was

dissecting. At present, there are many existing sources of energy, most of them being fossils

coals, and oil which are all non-renewable. These sources also have their fair contribution with

the pollution, for burning fossil fuels creates carbon dioxide that also creates pollution. With the
possible risk of losing these sources in the future, humans researched for substitute sources

that can be an alternative for these sources. Fruits can be a great option for their accesibility

and they are also easy to work with. As mentioned, all fruits, technically, can be a conductor

for they all contain charged ions or also called electrolytes. However, some fruits may do better

than the other depending on the amount of electrolytes they have. Fruits high in potassium and

sodium are one of the best fruit batteries because they contain superproductive ions. Fruits

that contain high acidity level like lemons make a great battery too, because acids are

electrolytes that breaks into a positive and negative charged ion when placed in a solution. The

only catch for these fruit batteries are they can not supply bigger apparatuses. It will be too

time consuming and people will need a lot of fruits in order to supply big ones, such as

charging a phone. In that case, it will be more advisable to use your regular charges instead of

going through some hardship just to recharge a phone, without knowing if it would work or not.

Chapter III

A. Subject of the Study

The more that humans advance in technology, the higher that the environment.

will pay its price. The environment is one of the main subjects of this study. Humans are doing
good in advancing and improving their technology but often forgets to take care of their main

source, the environment. The environment provides everything that the people need but if they

will not conserve, they will also suffer in the long run. The people of every community have

been aware of the threatening shortage for a long time, and even if it doesn't sound terrifrying

at the moment, the people still needs to be prepared. This project will be beneficial in the future

as it acts as a substitute of energy and can help the people conserve the main sources. The

biodegradable materials also help minimize the environmental pollution the people are

suffering from. As technology futher advances, it won't be too long now until the professionals

research to look for a new source of energy and this project can be a great option for that.

Another subject of the study is the humankind. Since, Electricity powers

up everything in this world, losing it will put everyone at risk. Most of the

energy resources are non - renewable and takes a million of years to create,

so a substitute for them is needed for humans to survive in the long run. The

materials are also attainable and can be brought from every local market so it

is very beneficial for the people. The project can also be a go to battery in

case of emergency. The research will be beneficial in the future, as

professionals delves more to this study.

 B. Procedure

Input Process Output

1. Citric and Zinc Fruits 1. Lay the fruit on a

hard surface and
2. Nails
roll it around.
3. Volt Meter
2. Rub the copper
4. Clip Wires and zinc metals
with sandpaper.
5. Sandpaper
3. Insert them on
6. Small Bulb FRUIT
 the opposite sides BATTERY
of the fruit.
4. Attach the clip
wires on the metals
and connect it to
the bulb.

INPUT

One of the significant items required to assemble a citric acid-powered battery

is any kind of citrus fruit. Oranges, tomatoes and apples are recommended for their

high acidity level. Any copper material and zinc material (nails, screws, wires, plates,

etc.) are also needed. Both of them have to be about two inches/five centimeters. The

last items needed are sandpaper, crocodile clip wires and the desired apparatus to

supply power with.

PROCESS

The first step of the procedure is to lay the fruit down on a hard surface and

gently roll it around. This will make the juice compartments break open inside. Rub the

copper and zinc metals with sandpaper to wipe off the metal oxides which may have

formed, exposing the copper and zinc underneath. Then, insert them into the opposite

ends of the fruit. Make sure that both metals do not collide against each other inside the
fruit and avoid making them puncture through the ends. Lastly, attach the crocodile clip

wires to each metal and connect them to the apparatus.

OUTPUT

The final product will result into a fruit battery.