YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 this is just a bit of fun for anyone that wishes to play. the challenge and the rules are simple you have to make your own battery(s), enough to keep a simple 4mm red LED lit for as long as possible. it must be a stand alone device with no other power input (so a rechargable battery is out of the question), and weigh no more than 250 grams. the timer starts as soon as the LED is lit, and stops as soon as it can longer be seen as lit in a dark room, the object is see who`s LED stays lit the longest honesty is essential obviously. please post your results here along with methods used, and Good Luck
JaKiri Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 Surely just making the largest electrochemical cell would win? It's pretty simple...
YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Author Posted February 7, 2004 maybe, but who will win? it has to be under 250 grams total, and left alone once lit. LED voltages are between 2.5 and 3 volts, blowing the LED up (burning it out) is a FAIL. I for one am keen to see the results and methods people come up with. you`re allowed more than one attempt, but oviously, Post your best one
YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Author Posted February 7, 2004 with the exception of hookup wire and the LED, nope. although feel free to do one using those parts as well if you like, and post results, they won`t be used in the overall challenge tho.
YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Author Posted February 7, 2004 OK MAJOR INTERVENTION HERE... LET ME POINT OUT THAT AN LED IS NOT LIKE A LIGHT BULB! IT DOES MATTER WHICH WAY YOU CONNECT IT! IT HAS A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WIRE AND WILL NOT WORK WHEN USED THE WRONG WAY ROUND! SO BEFORE YOU THINK YOU`VE FAILED, TRY WIRE IT THE OTHER WAY ROUND! sorry for caps but it was important
JaKiri Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 It's a Light Emitting Diode, of course it does. Anyway, anyone who didn't try it the other way round is pretty stupid anyway.
YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Author Posted February 7, 2004 Well this challenge is open to anyone, and not everyone knows what a diode is or how it works, esp one that emits light. most physics 101 students are familiar with light bulbs, a LED is NOT a light bulb. the challenge is NOT an electronics one (so I explained the potential LED problem) it`s a Battery Challenge if you bulb wasn`t working, would try it "the other way around"? of course not! and so anyone that didn`t know the difference between a bulb and LED is NOT stupid! the ones that pretend to born Knowing all this stuff quite obviously would be
aommaster Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 hmmm.... can't remember, is the long side negative or positive. And what about the flat side?
YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Author Posted February 7, 2004 a good way to tell, is actualy look inside the LED itself through the colored plastic, as a general rule, the CUP shaped part is the Cathode
wolfson Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 I made a battery before, using a pencil iron core.
YT2095 Posted February 7, 2004 Author Posted February 7, 2004 cool, see how long ya can keep an LED lit using it and play the game with us the more the better
YT2095 Posted February 8, 2004 Author Posted February 8, 2004 ok mines done and working. it was activated today at 12:53 pm GMT pictures here: http://www.yt2095.net/experiments/battery.jpg and without the camera flash, you can see the LED lit here: http://www.yt2095.net/experiments/battery2.jpg when a few more have done theirs and are lit, I`ll post what I made it with and how long it lasted (or didn`t LOL).
YT2095 Posted February 8, 2004 Author Posted February 8, 2004 Nope, I`m leaving that job as the Booby prize for whom ever comes in last
aommaster Posted February 8, 2004 Posted February 8, 2004 lol YT, u have a similar box to where i keep my electronics in Nice work I have to say
YT2095 Posted February 8, 2004 Author Posted February 8, 2004 hehehehe, it was just the best I could come up with at the time really, but it`s still lit well over 3 hours now! I`ll be WELL PLEASED if it makes it overnight!
atinymonkey Posted February 8, 2004 Posted February 8, 2004 YT2095 said in post # :Nope, I`m leaving that job as the Booby prize for whom ever comes in last I'll go get the Mr Sheen then.
YT2095 Posted February 8, 2004 Author Posted February 8, 2004 Don`t forget the HAZMAT suit and respirator anyway, I kinda figured you as a Mr.Muscle sort of guy
YT2095 Posted February 13, 2004 Author Posted February 13, 2004 UPDATE: 5 Days and 1 hour 20 mins in. it`s STILL LIT! )
DeoxyriboNucleicAcid Posted February 13, 2004 Posted February 13, 2004 reminds me of the holiday Chanuka, lol
DeoxyriboNucleicAcid Posted February 13, 2004 Posted February 13, 2004 it may go for a long time if u did the salt bridge correct and had enough metal (assuming it is a galvonic cell, lol whats so funny?)
YT2095 Posted February 14, 2004 Author Posted February 14, 2004 It`s finaly died, the electrodes corroded off. it`s worked now for a good 5 days and 22 hours. ( 5 days longer than I expected it to LOL I used magnalium as the cathodes and brass foil as the anodes. and a weak solution of sodium hydroxide as the electrolyte. so, 5 days 22 hours is the time to beat
Crash Posted March 16, 2004 Posted March 16, 2004 am i allowed to use a galvanic cell? say Zn/Cu or ferris ammonium sulfate? weigh under 250gms you say........
YT2095 Posted March 16, 2004 Author Posted March 16, 2004 sure you can, use any cell you like, it must be 250g or less and use no external power. that`s about it really
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