Lemon Battery
Discover how a lemon can be turned into a battery! Insert different metals to create a voltaic cell and observe the flow of electrons that generates electricity.
A single lemon battery produces a small voltage, but multiple lemons connected together can power a small LED.
The Science Behind Lemon Batteries
The lemon battery works through an electrochemical reaction between two different metals (typically zinc and copper) and the citric acid in the lemon:
- Zinc electrode (anode) oxidizes: Zn → Zn²⁺ + 2e⁻
- Copper electrode (cathode) reduces hydrogen ions: 2H⁺ + 2e⁻ → H₂
- Electrons flow through the external circuit from zinc to copper
Electrochemical cell: Two different metals (electrodes) in an electrolyte solution (lemon juice) create voltage.
Series connection: Connecting multiple lemon batteries increases the total voltage.
This demonstrates the principle behind all batteries, including the first battery invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800 (Voltaic pile).
