Prelab:
Purpose: Which fruit will produce the most electric voltage?
Hypothesis: When I attach a galvanized nail and a copper strip to a sweet potato or potato, the greatest voltage will be produced.
Materials: Fruit, Voltmeter, 2 wires, 2 different metals (Copper/zinc), knife
Procedure:
- Cut the pieces of fruit
- Put in 2 pieves of metal
- Attach to the voltmeter using wires
- record the results
- compare results from several pieces of fruit
WHY? The sweet potato or potato will produce the greatest voltage because the potatoes are a mix between starch and salt which creates a salt-bridge that allows the electron current to move freely.
Lab results:
Observations:
In our experiment the lemon had the highest voltage out of the fruits we measured.
The results of the voltage from the fruits our group used was somewhat different from the other group.
The voltage we measured the first time was very different than the first time.
The strawberry, potato and orange had the same voltage when measured the second time.
Results:
Lemon: 1st time – 0.2 v ,
2nd time – 0.5 v
Orange: 1st time – 0.3 v
2nd time – 0.4 v
Potato: 1st time – 0.4 v
2nd time – 0.4 v
Strawberry: 1st time – 0.4 v
2nd time – 0.4 v
Conclusion:
In conclusion my group found out that the lemon produced the most electric charge out of all the fruits and vegetables we experimented on. During the lab the class as a whole found out that the electric charge produced from the same fruits were different. My hypothesis was incorrect as I predicted the potato will produce the most electric charge but the experiment proved my hypothesis wrong. Lastly, some questions I would like to ask are: Is there a fruit that will produce more electric charge than a lemon? And, can there be a way where we can measure the electric charge of the fruits or vegetables more accurately?
Questions:
- What is causing electrons to flow in this experiment?
The fruit is an electrolyte solution allowing the electrons on the metals to flow.
- What are the independent, dependent, and controlled variables in this experiment?
Independent – type of fruit
Dependent – voltage
Controlled variable – the same wires
- How can we modify our experiments to improve our results?
I think something we could modify our experiment to improve our results is to measure the voltage of the same fruit but with multiple of them and find the average between the fruits to have a better result.
- What could be sources of error or uncertainty in our experiment?
The volts our group measured of the same fruits and vegetables were very different compared to another’s group which proves the uncertainty of our experiment.
- How can I use this in my everyday life?
I do not think a couple of fruits would work well to use as a source of energy but I believe knowing this experiment with the fruits and vegetables could be a solution in the future. But as of right now, I do not think we could use this in our everyday life.
Excellent post outlining the learning you gained from creating your own battery with fruit. Isn’t it interesting what came out as the best electrolyte? It has to do with something called the Van’t Hoff Factor. Consider checking it out if you want to know more. Awesome work!