Introduction

“Juice” is a slang term sometimes used for electricity. Batteries are made up of one or more electrochemical cells. Electrochemical cells often consist of two different materials in an electrolytic solution and connected to each other by a wire. In this experiment, you will study some basic principles of electrochemical cells using the juice of a lemon as the electrolyte. You will place small pieces of two different materials into the lemon, and a computer will be used to measure and display the voltages produced.

Objectives

In this experiment, you will

  • Build several cells.
  • Measure and display cell voltages.
  • Discover which combinations produce a voltage.
  • Decide which combination makes the “best” battery.