Question about Generate Electricity with a Lemon Battery activity

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how does a lemon have electricity
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The activity can be viewed at: Generate Electricity with a Lemon Battery

[ameyab19]

Hi,

Great question. A chemical reaction is what drives the electrical current, not the lemon itself. It acts like a battery because the metals (electrodes) and lemon juice (electrolyte) form a bridge that lets charged atoms (ions) flow.

You can learn more at this link: https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resourc ... science-u/

Good luck on your project!

- AB

[amyCC]

Please note that at the bottom of the activity you were viewing, there is a "Digging Deeper" section that explains the science behind the activity.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-act ... on-battery

To explore these kinds of batteries further, you might also want to look at the introduction for the Potato Battery project (which uses potatoes but is not limited to potatoes).

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... to-battery

Amy
Science Buddies

[Michael_K]

Thank you Amy and AB for the detailed answers! I checked out the Potato Battery link as well. Would a more acidic lemon produce a stronger current compared to a potato, or does the moisture level matter more than the acidity?

[ameyab19]

Hi,

Both acidity (in a lemon) and moisture (in a potato) can affect current (though neither automatically means better conductivity). Moisture lets ions move (acting as an electrolyte), while acidity can affect the chemical reactions happening. (Experimental variability also plays a role.)

This past Science Buddies thread also has some helpful information and links for research: viewtopic.php?t=2972

Hope this helps!

- AB

[matteorossi]

Hi! I tried this activity too — a couple of practical tips that helped me: roll the lemon firmly on the table before inserting the electrodes (it breaks up the pulp inside and gives you better current), and keep the zinc and copper electrodes close together but not touching. One lemon only makes about 0.9V, so if you're trying to light an LED you'll need 3-4 lemons wired in series (connect zinc of one lemon to copper of the next). Also double-check your multimeter is on the DC voltage setting — on the wrong setting you'll get a confusing reading. Good luck with the project!