Department of Education

Region X
Division of Bukidnon
District of Quezon
QUEZON NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Coins as Makeshift Battery

(Research Proposal)

Researcher:
Michael John B. Dayondon

Research Adviser:
MA’AM SHIELO P. ABSUELO
 Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the Study

On January 6, 2021, as I was working on a separate research topic, our area has suddenly

was affected by a power outage. This rendered my desktop inoperable, and when the power

returned, my document reverted itself to its state 2 hours prior. In the midst of all this, I thought

to myself, what causes a power outage, and how do we reduce the damage it causes?

Electricity is an essential part of living nowadays. Since its discovery, multiple people

modernized the newly acquired knowledge for full-scale production and usage. Electricity, also

known as electrical energy, existed even before we lived, giving convenience to everyone living

on the planet. According to Wikipedia, its name derived from the classical Latin electrum,

amber, from the Greek ἤλεκτρον (Elektron), amber. The origin of the Greek word is unknown,

but there is speculation that it might have come from a Phoenician word elēkrŏn, meaning

'shining light' Electricity was discovered about 3000 years ago by the Greeks.

Electricity also influences magnet polarity, which lead to the construction of DC(Direct

Current) and AC( Alternating Current) Motors. Conducting metals that facilitate the movement

of electrical currents, allowing the production of cables, generators, and other technological
advancements, triggered the Industrial Revolution that lasted from 1760 to 1840. Electrical

Currents can also be stored in the form of batteries which can later be used for other uses, such as

a power deficit or a black-out and will provide Electricity when needed.

It started in 1742 when a philosopher and inventor named Benjamin Franklin conducted a

kite experiment during a thunderstorm. It consisted of a metal key attached to the end of the kite

string to conduct electricity. He thought that lightning consisted of electricity, and as the

lightning struck the kite, an electrical charge passed on to the metal key. This is how Franklin

proved the existence of electricity.

Electronic devices are powered by sources of electricity. These sources can be divided

into two main categories. Mainly, Renewable and Non-Renewable sources. Under the

Renewable category, we have Solar energy, Hydroelectric energy, Geothermal energy, Wind

energy, and Bioenergy,

And under the Non-renewable category, we have Fossil fuels, coal, oil, Natural gas, and

nuclear energy, utilizing the energy released by the fission of radioactive materials
 In times of electricity black-out, battery-operated things are a necessity. In 1749,

Benjamin Franklin, an American scientist, and inventor, first coined the term "battery” when he

was doing experiments with electricity. In 1800, Italian physicist Alessandro Volta created the

world's first battery by stacking zinc plates, a cloth soaked in salty water, and copper plates, and

it was named a 'voltaic pile'. It is a stack of alternating zinc plates, copper plates, and brine-

soaked cloth or cardboard as an electrolyte, as an electrically conducting solution connected by 2

copper wires at the top as an anode/negative (-) and one at the bottom as a cathode/positive (+).

In 1859 the world's first lead-acid battery was created and is still used for modern internal

combustion engines, and it is also the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Today different battery

sizes range from large sizes for solar farm output storage to AA batteries for handheld electrical

equipment.

Batteries are conveniently made for all types of work. They can provide electricity to

various electronic devices. Batteries are used for heavy and light machinery for them to be

mobile or to be able to move or be carried everywhere. It can also be utilized as a renewable

backup when power outages occur.

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to answer the following questions:

1. How can a battery be made from coins?

2. How does the quantity of ingredients affect the voltage output of the makeshift

battery?

Objectives of the Study

This study aims to produce a functional coin battery and specifically

aims to:

1. Create a coin battery using coins, cardboard, vinegar, and electrical tape .

2. Determine the amount of electricity produced by the coin battery using a

tester.

Hypothesis

The makeshift coin battery is an effective electrical source due to the chemical

reactions contained in the makeshift battery.

 Scope and Limitations

The study will only focus on the coin battery’s efficiency. Other ways of

producing electricity will not be tackled and instead only serve as a guide to future

innovations for other alternative electricity producers.

Significance of the Study

This study serves as a steppingstone for other people to improve efficiency and

produce more of these products at an affordable price for anyone if it is mass-produced.

It is also an incentive to help people residing in regions constantly affected by frequent

power outages. It also serves as a guide for future students or people who would like to

recreate or improve makeshift-coin batteries.

Definition of terms

AC( Alternating Current)-  an electric current which reverses directions from

time to time
 Anode- the negative terminal of a battery.

Battery- a storage unit of electricity that has 2 external connections.

Bioenergy- is energy made from processed organic material.

Cathode-- the positive terminal of a battery.

DC(Direct Current)-  is one-directional flow of electric charge.

Electricity- is the movement of electrons.

Geothermal energy- using the heat deep within the earth to activate steam

turbines and produce electricity.

Hydroelectric energy-utilizing the movement of water to creating electricity

using turbines.

Magnet polarity- defines the north and south pole.

Non-Renewable-- energy sources that are limited can be exhausted and is not

constantly replenished.

Renewable sources- energy generated from natural processes, continuously

replenished, and cannot be exhausted.

Solar energy- harnessing energy produced by the sun to create electricity using

photosensitive panels that capture light to create electricity.

Voltaic pile- the first electrical battery that could continuously provide an

electric current to a circuit.

 Wind energy- using wind movement to turn wind turbines and produce

electricity.
 Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

According to Elon Musk “, a battery, is a collection of cells. So, the cell is a

little can of chemicals.”-2008, A cell being referred to is an electrical cell, which is a

small container containing an anode made by copper and a cathode made of silver inside

connected by electrolytes made from zinc/copper sulfate, and a battery is a stack of a

few of these cells connected by a circuit and having a universal positive terminal and a

negative terminal, thus, making a battery

According to Jun Chen “There will be further improvement with the continuous

development of new materials”- April 17, 2020. For example, the Alkaline battery is

used for small and other handheld devices like music players. There are also larger ones

like the Lead battery used for larger machines and grid-scale power systems. It proves

that as chemicals are being discovered, more kinds of batteries are being produced to

accompany the rapid increase in the innovation of electronic devices.

 According to Cheng “there will be further breakthroughs and various new types

of batteries that will continuously support the energy basis of our society”- April 17,

2020. Since electricity demands are increasing yearly, more efficient electrical storage

and electrical generation buildings are required. Existing batteries usually are outdated

within a decade and will be replaced by superior batteries. And since innovations never

stop, quality of life changes never stops arriving.

According to Volker Blandow, “Up to now, every new battery technology that

has been hyped up has had some issues, so that the incremental improvement of the

existing technology has remained the way how progress in batteries materialized ”-

January 2021. The frequent innovations in battery manufacturing has allowed it to be

commercialized and is piquing customers’ interest. Alongside its evolution, these

batteries also have their issues, which are constantly fixed to match the promised

standards. It further proves that innovations are bound to evolve to something far

superior and will not stop soon.

According to Naomi Marc “Appropriate requirements for batteries and products

containing batteries should define the right tools and conditions for ensuring a correct

handling of used batteries, and provide an appropriate time frame to allow

manufacturers of products to redesign them and adapt complex global supply chains and
manufacturing processes” -September 21, 2021. In their current state, Batteries can be

Mass-produced and sold internationally,During distribution, certain environmental

factors have the potential to damage batteries. The logistics department will be aware of

the potential threat and will do its best to control external hazards during transport. It

proves that handling with the right equipment is crucial in battery manufacturing.
 Chapter III

Methodology

This research paper will describe the logical arrangement of steps required to transform

certain coins into a functional coin battery. Testing its functionality and the varying results when

changing quantities of products will also be recorded.

The experiment is designed to ensure the functionality and measure the electric current of

the makeshift battery using a voltage tester.

Schematic Diagram

Gather materials

Cut out Soak the coins in

Cut aluminum foil vinegar to remove
cardboard into
into small circles debris and rust
small circles

Stack them all Soak the coins in

Soak cardboard together vinegar to remove
circles in vinegar (coin,cardboard, debris and rust
foil,coin….)

Encase/Fasten the
whole pile with
electrical tape.

Measure the
Repeat the entire
electric current
process for 10,15,
using electrical
and 20 coin stack
tester.
Locale of the study

The experiment will be preformed in Dayondon Residence at Libertad, Quezon,

Bukidnon. Only the researcher involved has been permitted to be involved in the experiment to

ensure safety.

Materials

In this study, the researcher gathered the following ingredients, 20 newly introduced 25-

centavo coins, that has been collected from various sources, such as wallets and other coin

storages, a half cup of Vinegar that was bought from SB Libertad, a large piece

of Cardboard was collected from a pile of recyclable materials, a roll of Electrical tape which

was obtained in the remnants of what seems to be a construction site,a roll of Aluminum foil

obtained from my mother’s cupboard, a voltage tester that was ordered online, and a

container obtained from my dish rack.

Procedure:

First, cut the cardboard into small equal squares, it has to be larger than the diameter of

the coins, Next, take your container and pour vinegar inside it, Then, soak your small cardboard

squares in the vinegar, After that, take your 25-centavo coins and put the soaked cardboard on

top of it, and place another coin on top, keep repeating this process until you have used up all

cardboard pieces or coins, and use electrical tape to fasten the entire structure. To measure the
amount of electricity produced by battery, carefully take the voltage tester, take the end of the

red cable, and place it on top of the battery, and in the same manner, take the end of the black

cable and put it and the bottom of the pile respectively.

The main idea of this experiment is that we can utilize the copper and zinc present in the

coins as an anode(-) and a cathode(+), respectively. The cardboard soaked with vinegar acts as

an electrolyte/medium to let the chemical reaction occur. It generates electricity through a

chemical reaction known as electrolysis. It produces a considerable amount of electricity, which

powers the Voltage tester. Since there is no visible switch to turn off the battery, it will continue

until (a) the battery is disassembled, (b)the vinegar dries up, or (c)the coins have been oxidized

enough and is unable to sustain the reaction.

 Chapter 4

Experimentation

A number of experiments were conducted in order for us to answer on how can a battery

be made from coins and how does the quantities of components affect the voltage output of the

makeshift battery. The experiment was necessary to ensure the functionality and measure the

electric current of the makeshift battery using a voltage tester.

It was conducted at Dayondon residence at Libertad, Quezon Bukidnon at 9:44AM, The

experimentation consisted of 5 separate trials with varying component quantities, which are

equally tested using a voltage tester.

Table 1.1- Recorded Voltage for corresponding quantities

(Coins:cardboard:foil) 5:4:4 10:9:9 15:14:14 20:19:19

Voltage output 3.4 ACv 5.4 ACv 7 ACv 7.2 ACv

(ACv)

The 1st trial consisted of 5 coins, 4 soaked cardboard pieces, and 4 foil cutouts, when

tested, the amount of voltage produced was 3.4 ACv (Alternating Current Volts), for the 2nd trial

all components have been increased and the ratio is now 10:9:9, the voltage output has now

increased to 5.4 ACv. For the 3rd trial, all ingredients has been increased by 5, and the voltage

produced has been increased to 7 ACv. For the final trial, the ratio of all ingredients is now

20:19:19, however, the amount of voltage produced only had a slight increase. Amounting to a

total of 7.2 ACv

 To conclude, that batteries can be made from coins, vinegar, cardboard, and aluminum

foil, the following components, specifically, the coins, contain the copper and zinc which

represents as the anode (-) and cathode (+). The cardboard with vinegar represents the electrolyte

or the medium so a chemical reaction occur, electricity will be generated and it will be called as

electrolysis. Aluminum foil is used to help facilitate the flow of electricity.

The quantity of ingredients