PHYSICS LABORATORY

REPORT
ICE-TRAY BATTERY

Submitted by Group I

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 Ice-Tray Battery

I. Objectives:
- At the end of the exercise, the students will be able to:
*apply scientific principles to develop explanations and solve new problems; and
* discover the science behind batteries

II. Pre-laboratory Guide Questions/Problems:

1. Did the LED light up? If not, explain why.

2. In your opinion, can the ice-tray battery power other DC-dependent devices?

3. What do you think contributes to the LED lighting up?

4. Galvanized nails are iron nails alloyed with zinc to keep it from rusting. How does

zinc make the LED to light up?

5. What other batteries use acids to create electricity?

6. Why is it important to dispose batteries safely?

III. Hypothesis
- Vinegar contains acid that will react with the copper and iron nail. The reaction will
produce electricity which will light up the LED.

IV. Variables:
- Independent Variables: Distilled vinegar, copper wire, construction nails
- Dependent Variables: LED
- Controlled Variable: Ice tray, wire cutter

V. Materials:
- Two (2) pieces of LED

- One (1) small six (6) cube plastic ice tray (ideal cube size is 2 in. × 2 in.)

- Five (5) pieces galvanized construction nails

- One (1) yd. gauge-22 copper wire

- Wire cutter

- One (1) pack distilled vinegar

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 VI. Procedure:
1. Tightly wrap a piece of copper wire at least five (5) times around a galvanized nail under the head
of the nail. If the wire is covered in insulation, remove the insulation first.

2. Make sure to leave a tail of wire extending straight out from the nail (at least three [3] inches).
Repeat step 1 four (4) more times.

3. Fill six (6) wells of the ice tray with vinegar.

4. Place one (1) nail inside one well, with its tail dipping on the other well. Make sure that the
copper wire is bent.

5. Place the next nail inside the well where the previous nail’s copper wire is placed. Make sure that
the nail – or copper wire – is not in contact with the copper wire of the previous nail.

6. Place the last nail in the well, with its tail inside the last well. See image below for reference.

7. Insert the LED in between the first and last well, as seen above. Observe what happens.

VII. Interpretation of Data

Figure 1:
Setting up the ice-tray battery
experiment with the five copper-
coiled nail and placing it to the
ice- tray with vinegar.

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 Figure 2:
The LED was placed in the setup
and it successfully emitted light.

VIII. Conclusion

1. Did the LED light up? If not, explain why.

- At first it didn’t, but after discovering that the LED used is not working by testing it with a battery, it
was replaced, and it emitted light.

2. In your opinion, can the ice-tray battery power other DC-dependent devices.

- Yes. DC dependent devices do not require much power to work so the ice tray battery can be used
to power them up. The ice-tray battery just needs to be adjusted depending on what light –
moderate power consuming device will be used, it may require adding more copper, nails, and
vinegar.

3. What do you think contributes to the LED lighting up?

- The distilled vinegar contains acetic acid which acted as the electrolyte. With the two different
metals (copper and galvanized iron nail which contains zinc), it served as the electrode where
electricity can pass. The vinegar reacted with the metals which with the setup, allowed electrons and
ions to flow and thus producing electricity that allowed the LED to light.

4. Galvanized nails are iron nails alloyed with zinc to keep it from rusting. How does zinc make the
LED to light up?

- The experiment needed two different metals, the copper and zinc are what was used to allow the
flow of electricity. The metals provide extra electrons that reacts with the ions on the electrolyte
(vinegar) and the electricity builds up

5. What other batteries use acids to create electricity?

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 - The other batteries that can be used are lemon or other strong citrus fruits. Those fruits can act as
the electrolyte with its acid contents.

6. Why is it important to dispose batteries safely?

-There are heavy toxic chemicals inside a battery, these chemicals include: acid, lead, nickel, lithium,
cadmium, alkaline, mercury, and metal hydride which can lead harm the environment. If not stored
or disposed properly, the contents may disintegrate and leak to the surroundings that may caused
more harm. To the soil, then to the plant, to the animals eating the plants, and to us humans.

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