URDANETA CITY

UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

LABORATORY NO. 3

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Have this copy printed on Letter Size (11’’ x 8.5””) bond paper.
Use Letter Size bond paper as you answer sheet and attach to this questionnaire. Please
observed proper margin.
Solutions and answers must be HAND WRITTEN. Please keep your writings neat and organized.
Not following instructions means NO SCORE.

SUBJECT CODE:
MEMBERS:
1.
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EXPERIMENT 03: Electrolytic Cells and Battery

INTRODUCTION
In electrochemistry, a cell is a device that will either generate an electric current through a spontaneous chemical
reaction (voltaic cell), or will facilitate such a reaction through application of electrical energy (electrolytic cell).
A combination of one or more cells with some sort of external connections would then create a battery. When
two different metals are connected by an electrolyte, a chemical reaction occurs at each metal surface, called
electrodes, that either releases or uses electrons. When these electrodes are connected by a wire, electrons
will move from one surface to the other, creating an electric current.

Batteries are great portable sources of electric energy, such as its uses in remote controls, cars, flashlights and
smartphones. This portability aspect makes the batteries a very useful device for such a purpose. Some
batteries could be disposed and replaced when they have no stored electrical energy left (primary batteries), or
be recharged by applying an electric current (secondary batteries).

In this experiment, simple voltaic cells and batteries would be made from everyday materials.

OBJECTIVES:
A. Create coin battery.
B. Determine the required number of makeshift cells to power up various LED lights.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:

Laboratory gown, heat resistant gloves, eye protection

PROCEDURE
1. Obtain 100 mL of water and add salt on it until no more salt dissolves (saturated solution). Add 5.0 mL
of vinegar into the solution.
2. Cut the board into ½ inch squares. Soak the squares in the solution until they are thoroughly wet.
3. Remove the squares from the solution and place them in a paper towel so that the excess solution is
removed. Do not dry the squares. Leave them damp.
4. Use the sandpaper to remove the copper coating from one side of at least 19 of the ten centavo coins.
Leave one of the ten centavos intact. Continue the sanding until a silver color is intact in the entire side.
Do not sand both sides. One side should still be having the copper coating.
5. Take one of the sanded coins with the steel side facing up (copper side down), and place one of the
damp squares above it. Stack another sanded coin above, and place another of the damp squares.
Continue stacking this way, making sure that the coin on top is the unsanded one. Make sure there are
no touching coins, or touching squares in the stack.
6. Test the makeshift battery by connecting a red LED on each of the ends. Determine the minimum
number of coins used to light the red LED. Repeat the testing using the other LEDs with different colors.

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REPORT SHEET
NAME: ________________________________ SUBJECT CODE: _______________
COURSE/SECTION: _____________________ Date of Submission: _____________
Professor: ______________________________ Rating: ________________________

Electrolytic Cells and Battery

Number of Coins Required to Light LED

LED Color No. of Coins Picture

Red

Yellow

Green

Blue

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POST-LABORATORY ACTIVITY

1. Which LED color required the highest number of coins to light up? Which LED color required
the lowest number?

2. The 10 – centavo coin, along with the 1 – centavo and the 5 – centavo in the BSP Coin Series 1995 -
2017, are copper plated steel coins, while the 25 – centavo coin is brass plated, and the 1 – peso coin
in the series is nickel – plated, similar to all the BSP Coin Series 2018. Based on this information, which
of the following types of coin would require the fewest number to light up a LED in the experiment: the
10 – centavo coin, the 25 – centavo coin, or the 1 – peso coin? Why do you think so?

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DOCUMENTATION

Science and Mathematics Department CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS