Materials Needed
- Ten pennies
- Ten nickels
- Salt
- Water
- Paper towel
- Voltmeter
Procedures
- Add as much salt to a cup of water as will dissolve.
- Soak a paper towel in the salt water.
- Make a stack by alternating pennies and nickels with pieces of the wet paper towel between them.
- Connect the voltmeter to the top and bottom end of the stack and measure the voltage.
What is Happening?
he voltmeter should move when the wires are connected to the stack of pennies and nickels. The mixture of the pennies, nickels, salt and water cause chemical reactions to send electrons to one end of the stack, making it negative and the other end positive.
This is how a battery works. Just like a battery eventually wears out, so will the one you made, but only when the paper towel dries out.
