Making a voltaic pile
Purpose
To make a battery with enough voltage
to light a bulb
Materials
steel wool
up to 10 pieces of copper
up to 10 pieces of zinc
2 pieces of wire
paper towel
eyedropper
lemon juice
salt water
voltmeter
Al foil
Basic procedure
1. Polish copper and zinc pieces if necessary with steel wool.
2. Cut out circles in the paper towel (about the size of the
penny).
3. Soak paper circles in lemon juice.
4. Create a “pile” by alternating paper, copper and zinc. Start
with zinc, then a piece of paper and ending with a penny.
5. Connect one wire to the penny, the other to the zinc.
6. Measure voltage.
7. Add more cells (layers) to the original and measure voltage.
Dependent variable:
Independent variable:
Constant variables:
Hypothesis:
Quantitative Data
Title:
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
___________________ __________________
Qualitative Data
Graph
Analysis Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Does the current change if you reverse the
+ and – ends of the battery?
What impact did adding more layers have
on the voltage of the battery?
Do all liquids (electrolytes) work the same
way?
If a liquid is used in the voltaic pile, how is
it a dry cell?
How is a wet cell battery constructed?