Homemade Batteries - Grade 3

Purpose: This activity shows you how to build and test a simple homemade battery to better understand electricity.

Materials

• lemon
• copper penny (minted before 1982)
• silver dime
• knife
• science journal

Procedure (This design will create about 1 volt of electricity.)

1. Roll the lemon a few times on a counter to get the juices flowing.
2. Clean a penny and dime with soap and water using an old toothbrush.
3. With adult supervision: Use the knife to make two parallel slits very close together in the lemon (a pinky width apart).
4. Insert the clean copper penny in one slit and the clean silver dime in the other slit. Be sure the coins do not touch each other.
5. Make a prediction as to what may happen as your tongue touches the two coins. Record your predictions in the science journal.
6. Touch both coins with your tongue at the same time. What happens? Record your observations in the science journal.

Conclusion

1. What is the power source?
2. What other fruit can be used instead of the lemon?
3. List the circuit parts.