ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL

Introduction

This model of the chemical reactions makes several predictions that were
examined in experiments published by Jerry Goodisman in 2001.
Goodisman notes that numerous recent authors propose chemical
reactions for the lemon battery that involve dissolution of the copper
electrode into the electrolyte. Goodisman excludes this reaction as being
inconsistent with the experiments, and notes that the correct chemistry,
which involves the evolution of hydrogen at the copper electrode, has been
known for many years. When the electrolyte was modified by adding zinc
sulfate (ZnSO4), the voltage from the cell was reduced as predicted using
the Nernst equation for the model. The Nernst equation essentially says
how much the voltage drops as more zinc sulfate is added.

The addition of copper sulfate (CuSO4) did not affect the voltage. This
result is consistent .When the battery is hooked up to an external circuit
and a significant electrical current is flowing, the zinc electrode loses
mass, as predicted by the zinc oxidation reaction above. Similarly,
hydrogen gas evolves as bubbles from the copper electrode. Finally, the
voltage from the cell depended upon the acidity of the electrolyte, as
measured by its pH; decreasing acidity (and increasing pH) causes the
voltage to fall. This effect is also predicted by the Nernst equation; the
particular acid that was used (citric, hydrochloric, sulfuric, etc.) doesn't
affect the voltage except through the pH value.

Energy source

The energy comes from the chemical change in the zinc (or other metal)
when it dissolves into the acid. The energy does not come from the lemon
or potato. The zinc is oxidized inside the lemon, exchanging some of its
electrons with the acid in order to reach a lower energy state, and the
energy released provides the power. In current practice, zinc is produced
by electron winning of ZnSO4 or pyrometallurgic reduction of zinc with
carbon, which requires an energy input. The energy produced in the lemon
battery comes from reversing this reaction, recovering some of the energy
input during the zinc production
Material Required

Distilled Water, Coldrink, Salt Water

• Connecting Wire

• Copper And Zinc Strips

• Digital Clock

Procedure

Assemble a “connection pair” by connecting the wire carefully thread the

wire’s exposed metallic end through the holes on the plate. Gently twist
wire to secure it to the plate.

• Afterwards, connect the black wire from the LCD clock (negative) to one
of the zinc plate. Then connect red wire from LCD clock (positive) to piece
of copper plate. Now all the components are connected

• Insert the copper and zinc plates into salt water such that the metallic
strips do not touch each other. The clock now starts to work.

• Repeat this experiment with distilled water & coldrink.

Observation
As soon as we connect the wires and put the key on electricity generated
by the fruit juice flows through the clock, making the clock run in case of
salt water and coldrink. The clock does not work when the rods are
immersed in distilled water as no current flows.

Result
The metal strips and liquid make a simple battery that creates the
electricity to operate the clock. Salty water and coldrink work as a device
called electrochemical cell. It converts the chemical energy stored in the
metal strips into strips into electrical energy.

A cell works because of the chemical properties of the metals inside (in
this case the copper and zinc). The different properties cause tiny
particles charged with electricity (ions) to move between the two strips of
metal. This flow is an electric current. The liquid which conduct electricity
contains the particles that allow the current to flow, but it stops the
metals touching. Electric current also flows along the wire between the
zinc and copper strips & the clock. This current makes the clock run.

SALT WATER: The ions present in common salt sodium chloride dissociate
into ions of sodium and chloride. These ions are responsible for conduction
of electricity. Potential is provided by copper and zinc rods.

DISTILLED WATER: There is absence of ions in distilled water therefore the

distilled water doesn't conduct electricity and hence the clock doesn’t
work. Though the H+ and OH- but the pH is 7 therefore the ion dissociation
is not enough only 10-7M H+ is present in distilled water. so this can not
conduct electricity.

COLDRINK: The coldrink too contains ions which dissociate to conduct

electricity