How is the battery made?

the battery

The battery is one of the useful inventions for humans, as it provides a portable source of electrical energy without the need for electrical outlets, and it is also very useful when there is a power outage. The battery was invented by the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta in 1799 AD; Where he made a simple battery consisting of metal sheets and cardboard immersed in a salt solution, and since that time scientists have used Volta's simple design to make batteries of different sizes and shapes, and the principle of working batteries of various types depends on converting the chemical reactions that occur between the metal plates and the salt solution into electrical energy . At the present time, there are many devices that contain batteries, such as wristwatches, smart phones, laptops, electric razors, light bulbs, and many others.

Methods for making batteries

Many types of batteries can be made at home using metal materials and wires, and conductive materials such as salt water or lemon.

Soda battery

A soda-powered battery can be made by following these steps:

• Providing the necessary materials for making the battery, which are:
  • A can of soft drink.
  • paper or plastic cup (6-8) ounces; That is (170-230) milliliters.
  • A copper strip whose height is slightly more than the height of the cup, and its width is (1) inch. The strip can be replaced with wires connected to each other or bent in a zigzag manner to reach the required width.
  • scissors.
  • potentiometer.
  • Two connecting wires with connection clips at each end.
• Fill three quarters of a glass with a soft drink.
• Ensure that the soft drink bottle is completely empty.
• Cut a strip of aluminum three-quarters of an inch wide from the side of the soft drink can; So that the tape is slightly longer than the cup, and an aluminum tape can be purchased instead of cutting part of the soft drink package.
• Sand the aluminum strip that was cut from the soft drink can on both sides (optional).
• Place the straps in the cup filled with the soft drink, making sure that the straps do not touch, then bend the straps until they hang from the edge of the cup.
• Connect a connecting wire to the first aluminum tape using the connection clip, and repeat that in the second tape, taking care not to touch the connection clip of the soft drink.
• Connect the two ends of the connection wires to the potentiometer according to the instructions; This is to measure the battery voltage difference, which is approximately 3/4 volt.

Salt water battery

A salt water battery can be made by following these steps:

• Provide the following materials:
  • A plastic or paper non-metallic cup with a volume of 180-240 ml.
  • Two metal strips of different type, three-quarters of an inch wide. Zinc, copper, or aluminum strips can be used.
  • A tablespoon of 14.79 ml of salt, and a tablespoon of salt can be replaced with a teaspoon of 4.93 ml of salt, a teaspoon of vinegar, and a few drops of bleach in the water, while adhering to caution when using bleach; it is a dangerous chemical.
  • scissors.
  • potentiometer.
  • Two jumper wires with jumper clips at each end.
• Fill three quarters of a cup with water.
• Add the tablespoon of salt, or a mixture of salt, vinegar and bleach to the water, and stir.
• Put the two metal strips in the cup and make sure that the strips touch the salty solution and hang from the edge of the cup.
• Connect a connecting wire to the first metal strip using the connecting clip, and repeat that in the second metal strip, taking care not to touch the connecting clip to the solution.
• Connect the two ends of the connection wires to a voltage measuring device according to the instructions, in order to measure the battery voltage difference, which is approximately 3/4 volt.

14-cell water-powered battery

A water-powered battery can be made by following these steps:

• Providing the necessary materials:
  • Some copper wire.
  • Ice cube mold.
  • water.
  • As many screws as there are ice cubes, and an extra screw to use as the negative terminal.
  • scissors.
  • potentiometer.
  • Two jumper wires with jumper clips at each end.
• Cut the copper wire so that it is suitable for wrapping it twice around the top of each screw, then bend the screw in the shape of a fishing hook.
• Install one screw on the edge of each cell of the ice cube tray.
• Install a copper wire on the outer end of the cell that is located on the tip of the ice cube mold, and install a screw in the end cell next to it, and wind a copper wire on the top of the screw.
• Fill all cells of the ice cube mold with water, making sure that the water submerges the wire hooks attached to the screws.
• Connect a connecting wire to the wire dangling from the screw using a connecting clip, and connect another wire to the wire fixed to the cell next to it using a connecting clip, taking care that the connecting clip does not touch the water.
• connect the free ends of the two wires to a potentiometer; To make sure that the battery that was made has a voltage difference of (9) volts.
• The battery voltage difference can be enhanced by replacing the water with lemon juice, or a mixture of brine with vinegar, bleach, and lemon juice, or by using more copper.

Hand operated battery

To make a hand-operated battery, you must follow the following steps:

• Providing the necessary materials for making the hand-operated battery, which are:
  • A plate of copper the size of the palm of the hand, and another plate of aluminum.
  • potentiometer.
  • Two jumper wires with jumper clips at each end.
  • A piece of wood or plastic.
• Place the copper and aluminum plates on the piece of wood.
• Use connecting clips to connect the copper plate to one end of the potentiometer, and the aluminum plate to the other end of the scale.
• Putting a hand on each board, which leads to an interaction between the sweat produced from the hands with the boards, and a reading appears on the potentiometer. In the event that no reading appears, the connections can be reversed.
• Clean the boards with a pencil eraser or dish-scouring pad to get rid of oxidation when you're having trouble getting a reading.

types of batteries

Batteries can be classified into two main types:

• Primary batteries:  They are batteries that are used once and cannot be recharged, and include: alkaline batteries, zinc-carbon batteries, mercury batteries, and silver oxide batteries.
• Secondary batteries:  They are batteries that can be charged several times depending on the type of battery, and include: lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries.