Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

i have searched everywhere possible and cannot or the lif e of me find anything on how to make an Alkaline battery. ive been searching google for about 3 hours and have no luck if anyone can help me with that id greatly appreciate it, also im looking for smaller batteries not like a car batery.

please i really need help with this if anyone can help it would be greatly apreciated.. i have most of the materials but i need the instructions on how to put it together

Hi,

I could not find directions for making an alkaline battery either, but here is a general website showing how to make a battery. To make a battery, you have a chemical reaction at the anode, which releases electrons and another chemical reaction at the cathode that uses electrons. The flow of electrons through the wire when it is connected between the anode and cathode can be measured with a voltmeter. For an alkaline battery, the chemistry is different, but the basic procedure is the same.

http://www.ieee-virtual-museum.org/coll ... 5793&lid=1

With an alkaline battery, you need to connect a metal wire between the anode (mixture of zinc powder and potassium hydroxide) and the cathode (mixture of manganese and water). The two mixtures must be separated from each other, but when you connect them with a wire, electrons will flow from the anode to the cathode and you will be able to measure the voltage.

Here is the chemistry of the reaction:

Anode reaction: Zn(s) + OH- reacts to form Zn0(s) + H2O +2 electrons

Cathode reaction: 2 Mn + 2H2O + 2 electrons reacts to form Mn2O3 + 2OH-.

If you are making an alkaline battery for your science fair project, try to use the battery in an experiment. For example, you could compare the voltage using difference concentrations of potassium hydroxide. Or, you might use your battery to turn on light bulbs with different watts. Or, compare the voltage of an acid and an alkaline battery.

You will be working a corrosive chemical here, so make sure you wear eye protection, and if possible, rubber gloves when you do your experiment. If you get the potassium hydroxide on your skin or clothing, wash it off with lots water as soon as possible.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Donna Hardy

Here's a link that might be helpful: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question2.htm

Here is another website to try:

http://www.millenniumbatteries.com/Batt ... e/make.htm

Also, you could try searching "edison battery"
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/invent ... tery.shtml
Edison batteries (also called alkaline batteries) are an improved type of storage battery developed by Thomas Edison. These batteries have an alkaline electrolyte, instead of an acid. Its electrodes are plates of iron and nickelic oxide immersed in a caustic potash electrolyte (this is a base, and not acidic).

Hope this helps!