image from whatpoll.com
There is debate over whether American pioneer and inventor really conducted this experiment in which he attached a key to a kite and flew it during an electrical storm. You can read about it here. Regardless of what really happened or didn’t, this is a good time to let kids do some experimenting with electricity by making this homemade battery.
Materials:
- plastic cups
- concentrated lemon juice
- copper nails
- aluminum nails
- insulated wire
- flashlight bulbs
Directions:
- Fill each cup ¾ full with concentrated lemon juice.
- Several inches of wire will be needed for each battery.
- Expose the ends of the wire by cutting through the plastic insulation, but not the wire.
- Do the same in the middle of the wire.
- Wrap each end of the wire around the tops of the nails.
- Twist the mddle around the light bulb.
- The wire must touch the tip of the bulb’s end and the metal ridges around its base.
- Stick nails in lemon juice and bulb should light. If not, reattach wire and try again.
- Explanation: lemon juice is an acid and acts much like the inside of a dry cell to create a battery.
Source(s): 100 Science Activities for Kids (activity H7).
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