CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT
SESSION : 2023-24

TOPIC:
“ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL”
SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:
DIVYANSHU YADAV DR. VIKAS YADAV
(B.Ed., M.Sc., Ph.D.)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to
all those who have contributed to the
completion of this project on "Transformers: A
Comprehensive Exploration." This endeavour
would not have been possible without the
support, guidance, and inspiration from
various individuals and resources.
I extend my sincere thanks to My Chemistry
teacher [Dr. Vikas Yadav], whose expertise and
invaluable insights have been instrumental in
shaping the direction of this research. Your
guidance, feedback, and encouragement
throughout the project have been truly invaluable.
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that

DIVYANSHU YADAV
Student of class XII (Sci.)

has successfully prepared the report on

Project entitled
“Electrochemical Cell”

under the guidance of

Dr. Vikas Yadav (PGT Chemistry).

The report is the result of his efforts &

endeavours. The report is found worthy of
acceptance as final Project report for the
subject Physics of class XII(sci.).
Signature chemistry teacher Signature of External examiner

------------------------ --------------------------
  Abstract
An electrochemical cell is a device capable of either deriving
electrical energy from chemical reactions or facilitating
chemical reactions through the introduction of electrical
energy. A common example of an electrochemical cell is a
standard 1.5-volt "battery". (Actually a single "Galvanic cell";
a battery properly consists of multiple cells, connected in
either parallel or series pattern.)
The lemon battery is similar to the first electrical battery
invented in 1800 by Alessandro Volta, who used brine (salt
water) instead of lemon juice. The lemon battery is described
in some textbooks in order to illustrate the type of chemical
reaction (oxidation-reduction) that occurs in batteries. The
zinc and copper are called the electrodes, and the juice inside
the lemon is called the electrolyte. There are many variations
of the lemon cell that use different fruits (or liquids) as
electrolytes and metals other than zinc and copper as
electrodes. Batteries are used to illustrate the connection
between chemistry and electricity as well as to deepen the
circuit concept for electricity. The fact that different chemical
elements such as copper and zinc are used can be placed in
the larger context that the elements do not disappear or
break down when they undergo chemical reactions. Batteries
serve to illustrate the principles of oxidation-reduction
reactions.
 Introduction

This model of the chemical reactions makes several predictions that

were examined in experiments published by Jerry Goodisman in
2001. Goodisman notes that numerous recent authors propose
chemical reactions for the lemon battery that involve dissolution of
the copper electrode into the electrolyte. Goodisman excludes this
reaction as being inconsistent with the experiments, and notes that
the correct chemistry, which involves the evolution of hydrogen at
the copper electrode, has been known for many years. When the
electrolyte was modified by adding zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), the voltage
from the cell was reduced as predicted using the Nernst equation for
the model. The Nernst equation essentially says how much the
voltage drops as more zinc sulfate is added.

The addition of copper sulfate (CuSO4) did not affect the voltage. This
result is consistent. When the battery is hooked up to an external
circuit and a significant electrical current is flowing, the zinc electrode
loses mass, as predicted by the zinc oxidation reaction above.
Similarly, hydrogen gas evolves as bubbles from the copper electrode.
Finally, the voltage from the cell depended upon the acidity of the
electrolyte, as measured by its pH; decreasing acidity (and increasing
pH) causes the voltage to fall. This effect is also predicted by the
Nernst equation; the particular acid that was used (citric,
hydrochloric, sulfuric, etc.) doesn't affect the voltage except through
the pH value.
Production of current through SELFMADE battery
The Nernst equation prediction failed for strongly acid electrolytes
(pH < 3.4), when the zinc electrode dissolves into the electrolyte even
when the battery is not providing any current to a circuit. The two
oxidation-reduction reactions listed above only occur when electrical
charge can be transported through the external circuit. The
additional, open-circuit reaction can be observed by the formation of
bubbles at the zinc electrode under open-circuit. This effect
ultimately limited the voltage of the cells to 1.0 V near room
temperature at the highest levels of acidity.
Energy source
The energy comes from the chemical change in the zinc (or other
metal) when it dissolves into the acid. The energy does not come
from the lemon or potato. The zinc is oxidized inside the lemon,
exchanging some of its electrons with the acid in order to reach a
lower energy state, and the energy released provides the power. In
current practice, zinc is produced by electron winning of ZnSO4 or
pyrometallurgic reduction of zinc with carbon, which requires an
energy input. The energy produced in the lemon battery comes from
reversing this reaction, recovering some of the energy input during
the zinc production.

 Material Required
• Distilled Water, Coldrink, Salt Water
• Connecting Wire
• Copper And Zinc Strips
• Digital Clock

 Procedure
• Assemble a “connection pair” by connecting the wire carefully thread the
wire’s exposed metallic end through the holes on the plate. Gently twist wire to
secure it to the plate.
• Afterwards, connect the black wire from the LCD clock (negative) to one of
the zinc plate. Then connect red wire from LCD clock (positive) to piece of
copper plate. Now all the components are connected
• Insert the copper and zinc plates into salt water such that the metallic strips
do not touch each other. The clock now starts to work.
• Repeat this experiment with distilled water & coldrink.
  Observation

As soon as we connect the wires and put the key on electricity generated by the
fruit juice flows through the clock, making the clock run in case of salt water
and coldrink. The clock does not work when the rods are immersed in distilled
water as no current flows.

 Result/Conclusion
The metal strips and liquid make a simple battery that creates the electricity to
operate the clock. Salty water and coldrink work as a device called
electrochemical cell. It converts the chemical energy stored in the metal strips
into strips into electrical energy.
A cell works because of the chemical properties of the metals inside (in this
case the copper and zinc). The different properties cause tiny particles charged
with electricity (ions) to move between the two strips of metal. This flow is an
electric current. The liquid which conduct electricity contains the particles that
allow the current to flow, but it stops the metals touching. Electric current also
flows along the wire between the zinc and copper strips & the clock. This
current makes the clock run.
SALT WATER: The ions present in common salt sodium chloride dissociate into
ions of sodium and chloride. These ions are responsible for conduction of
electricity. Potential is provided by copper and zinc rods.
DISTILLED WATER: There is absence of ions in distilled water therefore the
distilled water doesn't conduct electricity and hence the clock doesn’t work.
Though the H+ and OH- but the pH is 7 therefore the ion dissociation is not
enough only 10-7M H+ is present in distilled water. so this can not conduct
electricity.
COLDRINK: The coldrink too contains ions which dissociate to conduct
electricity
  References:

• NCERT
• Principles of physical chemistry (Puri Sharma)
• hometrainingtools.com
• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• google