The Lemon Battery Experiment.

A lemon battery is a classic science experiment used to demonstrate the basics of a

chemical battery system. To recreate this experiment, you will need one very juicy lemon, a
galvanized (zinc-coated) steel nail, a clean copper coin (or section of household copper
wiring) and a sensitive voltmeter.

The lemon contains a significant amount of acidic juice, which in scientific

terminology is an electrolyte. The acid in an electrolyte helps to break
down the atomic structure of the copper and zinc, causing individual
electrons to be released. Carefully insert the copper coin or household
copper wiring into one end of the lemon, then insert the galvanized nail
into the opposite end. Make sure the two metals do not make contact
with each other.

The nail and the coin have now become electrodes. Both copper and zinc allow
electrons to flow through them, which means they are considered excellent conductors of
electricity. The copper coin or wire is considered a positive (+) electrode, while the zinc-
coated nail is a negative (-) electrode. The free-flowing electrons found in the lemon juice
electrolyte naturally want to move from the negative to