Abstract

An electrochemical cell is a device capable of either deriving

electrical energy from chemical reactions or facilitating
chemical reactions through the introduction of electrical
energy. A common example of an electrochemical cell is a
standard 1.5-volt "battery". (Actually a single "Galvanic cell";
a battery properly consists of multiple cells, connected in either
parallel or series pattern.)
The lemon battery is similar to the first electrical battery
invented in 1800 by Alessandro Volta, who used brine (salt
water) instead of lemon juice. The lemon battery is described
in some textbooks in order to illustrate the type of chemical
reaction (oxidation-reduction) that occurs in batteries. The zinc
and copper are called the electrodes, and the juice inside the
lemon is called the electrolyte. There are many variations of the
lemon cell that use different fruits (or liquids) as electrolytes
and metals other than zinc and copper as electrodes. Batteries
are used to illustrate the connection between chemistry and
electricity as well as to deepen the circuit concept for
electricity. The fact that different chemical elements such as
copper and zinc are used can be placed in the larger context that
the elements do not disappear or break down when they
undergo chemical reactions. Batteries serve to illustrate the
principles of oxidation-reduction reactions.
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.
Production of current through SELFMADE battery
The Nernst equation prediction failed for strongly acid
electrolytes (pH < 3.4), when the zinc electrode dissolves into
the electrolyte even when the battery is not providing any
current to a circuit. The two oxidation-reduction reactions
listed above only occur when electrical charge can be
transported through the external circuit. The additional, open-
circuit reaction can be observed by the formation of bubbles at
the zinc electrode under open-circuit. This effect ultimately
limited the voltage of the cells to 1.0 V near room temperature
at the highest levels of acidity.

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/Conclusion
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

References:

• NCERT
• Principles of physical chemistry (Puri Sharma)
• hometrainingtools.com
• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• google