Students make a working battery out of a piece of aluminium foil, some salt water, a piece of paper towel and some ground charcoal. The voltage can be measured with a voltmeter. Several batteries in a row will light an LED.
This activity was modified from an activity generously shared by Diana Kennen (Rockdale K-12) and Matt McDowell (School of Materials Science and Engineerin, Georgia Institute of Technology).
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304 kB Teacher instructions (method, materials, safety considerations)
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157 kB Student instructions
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87 kB Student booklet entry
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89 kB Student leader booklet entry
A group of undergraduate students in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, have also prepared some amazing videos on how to conduct these experiments. A big thank you to our students Jayde Kayla Farrugia, Hamish Glenn McManus, Hanan Katrib, Eliza Jane Leskie and Alexandra Tsapi.