Overview
In this lab our group attempted to transfer energy by using lemons as batteries along with copper wire and zinc nails as conductors and in the end try to make an LED light up. Throughout this project we had to research how a circuit like this works and what causes the lemon, nails, and copper to behave the way they do. We also had to figure out how a change of energy takes place in our lemon battery and how it works. Below is my proof of efficacy document that gives my full analysis.
For this project, my group and I also made a slideshow presentation to explain our findings.
Key terms
- Chemical energy- energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, like atoms and molecules. This energy is released when a chemical reaction takes place.
- Electrical energy- a form of energy resulting from the electrical attraction or repulsion between charged particles.
- Oxidation reaction- a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer of electrons between two species. In our lemon battery, the zinc anode dissolves into the liquid electrolyte in the lemon, leaving two electrons behind. This can be shown through the chemical equation Zn → Zn2+ + 2e-
- Reduction reaction- any chemical reaction in which the oxidation number of a molecule, atom, or ion changes by gaining or losing an electron; reduction and oxidation usually occur together. This can be shown through the chemical equation 2H+ + 2e- → H2
- Anode- the negatively charged electrode of a device supplying current such as a primary cell. in this case our anode was the zinc.
- Cathode- the positively charged electrode of an electrical device, such as a primary cell, that supplies current. (copper)
- Voltage- an electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts (V). With our lemon battery we reached a voltage of 6.8
Reflection
Overall this project went fairly well. My group and I learned a lot about thermochemistry and how energy is transferred throughout a circuit. One thing I believe I did well on this project were my leadership skills. One of our group members was absent for a little bit so I picked up the slack and took on leadership qualities to help my group finish the project out to the end. At some times I would be doing most of the work because they were doing their own thing. If told them to pick up the slack, then our work could have been completed easier. Also when one of my group members got off task, I should've helped them out by giving them work to do that would benefit our group in a positive way. Another skill that I performed well in this project would be my cooperation. In this project I really listened to my group members opinions and didn't just do what I wanted. Working as a team is really beneficial toward the end goal for the project. Although my leadership and cooperation excelled in this project, I didn't have that much empathy toward a group member or two. This is a character of the six c's I needed to work on more. I would get irritated quite easily what a group member goofed off, but instead of getting mad I should have nudged them in the right direction. I really could have worked on my collaboration tactics as well throughout this project. I tried to do everything myself and not rely on my team mates as much as I could for the best chance of success. This goes hand in hand with my communication, which was not as good as it could have been. I tried to keep my head down and work on the project instead of reaching out to my group members. A problem our group ran into was when a group member was absent for a few days. This prompted the rest of us to really dig in and get the work done. Although it set us back a little bit we recovered nicely. A peak our group had was when we powered through and finished our slideshow presentation. This really helped us because it gave it the motivation to practice our presentation and perfect it. A low Point our group had would be one group members slacked off and didn't do the necessary work. However, these problems can be easily avoided in the next project.